


Life is what happens...

by Moonlightflower



Series: Flames of the heart [2]
Category: Cars (Movies), Planes (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Falling In Love, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, Love Confessions, M/M, Maru being awesome, Near Death Experiences, Pining, Recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2019-03-08
Packaged: 2019-09-13 03:26:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 72,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16884750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonlightflower/pseuds/Moonlightflower
Summary: After the events of the movie Blade's and Dusty's lives go on. Dusty has to balance his racing carrer and his firefighting and Blade is stuck at Piston Peak. The park needs to be restored, winter is coming and emotional chaos ensues. As Blade and Dusty meet again and again and get thrown from one chaotic mess into the next their relationship changes with every new experience made together. And when everyone around them starts meddling, chaos and drama are inevitable.





	1. It's not like that

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone, I'm back!  
> I'm sorry for vanishing off the face of the earth for almost a year but my life really got in the way. There wasn't really anything I could do but I still feel sorry. I hope some of you stuck around to wait for this. 
> 
> So, here it is, the first chapter of my continuation of Dusty's and Blade's lives after the events of the movie. The story is all finished and proofread, so I will update regularly (I'm thinking every four days for now). As always I'm happy with feedback to improve my writing, so feel free to comment and to critize constructively. Let the fun begin!
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter and I wish you all a happy Nikolaus :)
> 
> Also,because I have to- Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine (except for any OCs). They belong to Wald Disney Pictures.

The sun was barely rising, the birds were just beginning to sing and the weather was looking good. It was promising to be a beautiful day out and Dusty couldn’t help but smile at the sight that greeted him when he left his hangar.

_Well, it’s not Piston Peak, but it sure is something…_

He still couldn’t wrap his mind around everything that had happened. It seemed like only yesterday that Dottie had told him about his gearbox and now he was standing here, repaired and a whole new person. He wasn’t as naïve anymore, nearly dying and almost losing his mentor had taught him that much. And that wasn’t the only change. Looking back at his past self he could only shake his head. Blade had been right, he had been one of those stereotypical famous people, even if not to the extent as some others were. He had clung to his achievements in racing, had made sure to always be modest about it, yet always looking for a way to present what he had done. Even if it had been subconscious, at the time his racing had mattered to him more than anything else and he’d let that influence his behavior. Considering that that attitude had gotten him to where he was now, it hadn’t necessarily been a bad thing.

_Either way, it’s in the past now. Time to move forward._

Stretching his wings a little he exited his hangar and made his way to the runway, savoring the fresh morning air. For being a farmers village, most of the inhabitants liked to sleep in quite late so it was peacefully quiet when Dusty reached the Fill n’ Fly to silently grab some coffee. It was weird to have free access to the fuel supply and to actually have options to choose from. He had gotten used to the standard fast refuel oil they’d had on base and having to ask Maru every time he wanted some. A small smile formed on his lips as he slowly began sipping the drink, still lost in his thoughts. He missed having the team around. At this time the Jumpers would already be causing some kind of chaos. Cabbie would listen to his military communication and in the background, Windlifter’s weightlifting would create a steady rhythm of wood against the ground. Maru would probably be rebuilding something while cursing violently when it didn’t work. And Blade…

_‘Come on Champ. Time for some training.’_

The smile on his face grew. He really missed them.

“Heya Dusty. What’s got you up and smiling this early in the morning?”

The question pulled him out of his daydreaming and before really registered what he had been asked, he felt his cheeks heat.

“Blushing, eh? What’s brought this on?”

The tone turned slightly teasing and Dusty’s blush only intensified.

“Not going to talk about it, Skipper.”

“Suit yourself. Still, what are you doing up this early? You usually spend every spare minute I give you on your sleeping mat. I mean, not that I’m complaining, but why?”

The blush slowly ebbed away as the memory brought another to Dusty’s lips.

“Force of habit. Blade deemed it unfit for a firefighter to sleep in, so he dragged me out for training pretty early all the time. Now I’m just used to it.”

“Guess I should have tried that years ago.”

“Yeah, you probably should have. Would have saved both of us some trouble.”

Skipper chuckled, regarding Dusty with a look of fond exasperation as he reached for a can of oil to drink. They stayed silent while sipping their oil, enjoying the comfort it brought and allowoing their bodies the time to properly wake up. It had always been like this. They didn’t need to be talking to the other, simply enjoying each others company was enough. If the need arose, they were usually able to read the other’s every little move. Dusty sighed as his thoughts strayed back to the Air Attack, feeling restless with the sudden calm that had been forced on him. _It’s no good._

“If it’s not too much trouble, could we go out for a bit of training? I mean it’s not like I really need the exercise, I got plenty of that at Piston Peak, but then again, fighting fires and racing isn’t really comparable, so if you don’t mind, how about the usual round? Just the basics, nothing complicated…”

Skipper only smiled and shook his head. Dusty felt his cheeks starting to heat up again and lowered his head. He’d always been an eager student, but this was new, even for him. _Chrysler, I miss it even more than I thought…_ He hastily gulped down the rest of his fuel. _I need a distraction._

“Did I ever say no to you Dusty?”

That made him chuckle. He could think of at least at least a dozen times were Skipper had done just that immediately. Grinning he started rolling towards the runway, Skipper following like he always did and soon they were up in the air. The fresh breeze that swirled around his nose and propeller made him feel free in a way that almost felt foreign, new.

_Guess a few near-death experiences do that to you. Blade would probably like this._

And there it was again. He just couldn’t seem to get the helicopter out of his mind. It was mostly random thoughts but still, they were currently occupying the majority of his thinking process, leaving little room for anything else. He absentmindedly headed for the trees, flying through them in more or less complicated patterns and automatically comparing them to Augerin Canyon. _Not half bad, but not even close to having the rapids underneath you._ He almost hit a few trees when he made a too wide turn, too lost in his thoughts to even realize his mistake until he felt Skipper’s sharp gaze on him. It wasn’t his best performance, not by a long shot, but he wasn’t about to let it go. _I need to train!_ Deep down he knew it was futile, but he refused to acknowledge it, stubbornly turning in a half loop and heading for the silos to do a few radial G’s. _I can do those in the middle of the night with my eyes closed. Shouldn’t be too-_

“Watch out!”

Dusty’s eyes snapped open, revealing the silo only meters away from his nose. He instinctively pulled up, going straight into a climb and trying his best not to topple over while keeping an eye on any obstacles in the air. With his concentration already divided he nearly missed Skipper coming after him, only realizing he had when they nearly crashed midair. Amidst all the chaos he had completely forgotten to keep an eye on his balance and before he knew it he was falling downwards, spiraling at a rate that made it nearly impossible to restart his engine and get back in the air.

“Dusty!”

_‘Champ!’_

That snapped him out of it. Maneuvering himself into a few barrel rolls, Dusty managed to counter the spiraling, correcting his flight path and climbing back up. _That was close… What the heck is wrong with me?_ His breath was ragged and by the time Skipper caught up to him, his core beat hard enough that he was sure it could be heard for a mile.

“Dusty, are you alright? You didn’t injure yourself, did you? How’s your gearbox, do you need to see Dottie?”

Guilt hit him. Dusty had never meant to make his coach worry. Skipper had seen his fair share of crashes, he didn’t need to add Dusty to that list as well. Averting his gaze and slowly turning away he answered quietly.

“I’m fine Skipper. Nothing that Dottie could fix. I was just… distracted.”

“You sure Dusty?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry Skipper.”

“It’s alright. Everyone has these days. How about we just go for a flight. Maybe relaxing a little will help your concentration.”

_I doubt it, but it’s not like training in this condition is going to get us anywhere. I’d probably just end up hurting myself._

“Why not. Who knows, it might help.”

Skipper just nodded and took the lead, leading Dusty away from Propwash and out into the wild. The sun was shining with its full force by now, warming his plating and the winds had picked up a bit, making it comfortable to glide on them. Dusty found himself unconsciously keeping an eye out for spotfires. _All clear._

“So, want to tell me what’s wrong?”

“What?”

“Dusty, I’m your coach and I’d like to think that the two of us are friends. I know you well enough to see when something’s not okay. You desperately wanting to train and then having no concentration and nearly crashing? You can’t say that’s your everyday behavior. So, do you want to tell me what’s eating at you?”

_Why am I surprised? It’s not like it’s news that he cares…_

“We are friends…”

“Then tell me.”

“Well, it’s kind of a long story.”

“I’ve got time.”

Sighing, Dusty resigned himself to his fate. Maybe talking about it would help. Apart from the fact that he had wasn’t really what the problem actually was, he had yet to tell his friends about the events of the past weeks that had changed his life so fundamentally. Somehow it had felt like something intimate, something between him and the team and of no one else’s concern.

“Well, as you probably figured out already, this has something to do with Piston Peak.”

Taking another deep breath and realizing that Skipper was likely to be less than thrilled to hear what he was about to say, he sped up a bit to fly ahead. Not out of audial range, but far enough to not look Skipper into the eyes.

“When I first came there, Blade was out scouting. I had just landed and kind of gotten to know the rest of the crew when suddenly the alarm went off. They all headed out of course and for some reason I was dumb enough to follow them. I ended up nearly crashing into Blade and then flew right into the retardant. Our first impressions weren’t the best and when he found out I was more or less a celebrity, he was less than thrilled.  
Long story short, we got off from a rocky start. During the training, my gearbox was causing some troubles and I almost crashed in the process. The other lectures I did more or less well with, though I never exactly lived up to his standards. Then, at one point he took me out scouting and we kind of melted the ice. He even gave me a nickname. And then there was my first fire, where I still wasn’t quite good enough and the Jumpers got trapped. I saved them with a drop, that was actually the first one that I got right. I guess that was enough to get Blade to trust me. Then the Park Superintendent showed up, a real jerk who only cares about money. When he found out who I was he invited me to the reopening party of the Lodge. The planes that came there flew in too low and spread all the embers from the fire we had just extinguished.  
The next day we had bad weather conditions and the fire had split in two. We had to split up, and so it was just me and Blade. That was the day you told me no one had my gearbox, so when Blade explained the strategy I was too deep in thought and didn’t listen. I dropped my entire load and that was a bad mistake. I went to go to the lake to refill, Blade told me not to, to return to base, but I thought he just wanted to get rid of me so I didn’t listen. There were pretty strong crosswinds and when I tried to refill on the lake I got pushed underwater. It stalled my engine and I was swept away down the rapids. Blade panicked, at least I think he did, and I almost crashed down the waterfalls but he managed to catch me in time.  
He put me down on the ground but the fire was right there, so he led me to an old mine where we would be safe. I was so terrified that I refused to go in and during that fight, I accidentally told him about my gearbox. He never stopped believing in me. Then in the mine, he shielded me from the flames. The burns were so bad, he must have gone through hell enduring that, and even with that much pain, he still tried to comfort me. He crashed as soon as we tried to take off. He nearly died because of me.  
Chrysler, you should have seen him. I’ve never seen a stronger person in my entire life. He doesn’t care what happens to him as long as he’s able to save someone. He cares about everyone and he’s so smart when he makes plans to extinguish a fire. The team’s safety comes before everything else and he still manages to get the fires out. He flies beautifully, he can even do loops and…”

Realizing he had somehow trailed off to only talking about Blade he blushed once again, thankful that Skipper couldn’t see it.

“Oh Skipper, I miss them. It’s nothing against you, I mean you’re great, but it’s just not...”

He didn’t know how to go on from that point so he left the sentence unfinished, hoping that Skipper would understand. The corsair looked thoughtful as they continued flying in silence for a short while.

“Sounds like he is a great guy, that Blade of yours.”

“Yeah, he is.”

 _One of the greatest people I know._ The smile that slowly spread on Dusty’s face at that thought just felt so right. Thinking about Blade felt right. It warmed his tanks.

“Have you ever thought about how you feel about Blade?”

“Feel about? As in…“

“From the way you talk about him and that smile you’re wearing just now, it looks to me like you have a crush on him.”

“What? N- no, I don’t…, it’s not like... Blade?”

Skipper’s warm smile at his stuttered reply only added to his emotional mess that the statement had procured out of nowhere.

_No, it’s not like that… Is it?_

His expression must have been one of complete horror because the next thing he knew was that Skipper was trying, and failing, to stifle a laugh.

“Oh, Dusty. You act like having a crush on someone is the end of the world. It’s not that bad. In fact, it’s quite wonderful. And most importantly, it’s only natural. There’s no harm in enjoying it. Besides, the way you described Blade, he doesn’t seem to be too adverse.”

_Yeah right…_

“You really think that I… have a crush on him?”

“Affirmative.”

With that Skipper flew closer, giving him a careful wingbump and chuckling at Dusty’s startled yelp. _Come to think of it, my core does race when I’m thinking about him. He’s beautiful too… Chrysler!_

“I got a crush on Blade…”

At first, it was nothing more than a whisper.

“I really have a crush on him.”

The more often he said it, the more right the words felt.

“I, Dusty Crophopper, have a crush on Blade Ranger.”

Before he knew it he was laughing, slightly hysterically at first, but gradually more and more relieved. He was repeating the phrase over and over again, releasing a long built up tension that he hadn’t even known was there. It felt good to let it all out. Next to him, Skipper gave up on hiding his laughter, giving him another wingbump and a beaming smile.

“There you go Dust. So, when is the wedding going to be?”

It was meant as a joke, Dusty knew that. Still, that thought erased all the happy feelings that he had felt only seconds ago and left him with a dull numbness mixed with a hint of sadness. _It’s not going to be at all._

“Dusty?”

“There’s not going to be a wedding or a relationship at that. I’m his trainee Skipper. We haven’t exactly had the best start and I caused trouble during pretty much my entire stay. It’s a miracle he even considers me a friend. Besides, he had a lover, long ago, that died from an accident. He was the reason Blade joined the rescue force. I can’t compete with that.”

“Dusty, listen. First, you might not have had the best start, but you seemed pretty close to me at the cornfestival. And in case you’ve forgotten, you’re certified now. You’re not his trainee anymore, and as far as I recall, he made you an official member of his team. Second, I don’t know how he feels about that lover of his, but if it really was that long ago, he has probably moved on by now. And even if not, you can help him do so. I can’t promise you that it will work, but I can promise you that you’ll regret it if you don’t try.”

“Even if what you said was true, our friendship is still so fresh. We’ve barely known each other for two weeks. How am I supposed to try and pursue a relationship with him without spending any time with him, without getting to know him? At this rate I’ll never have a chance.”

Dusty’s head slumped and he let himself drop a few meters before absentmindedly climbing up next to Skipper again. _It’s not like Blade would ever be interested in me that way anyway. Not after everything that happened._

“And when did you become this unwilling to risk something? I’m sure you’ll find plenty of reasons for the two of you to meet up. If only because you miss them.”

Dusty stayed silent. _I wish I could believe you Skip. It’s just not that easy…_

As if he read his thoughts, Skipper flew closer, brushing Dusty’s nose with his wing and smiling at him reassuringly.

“It never is Dusty. What makes the difference is whether or not you let that stop you. You proved to the entire world that you are fit to race. You proved to Piston Peak and to us that you can be a firefighter. Now go and show Blade that you can be a lover, a partner, and if you only use a spark of the willpower you used for the other two, things will work out for you two just fine.”

“You can’t know that…”

“You can’t know either unless you try.”

Even if his mind still couldn’t quite believe him, Dusty’s core latched onto Skipper’s words and clung to the hope that they spread. _Maybe you’re right. I can’t know unless I try._ His core had already made the decision for him. _I’ll try. It’s the least I can do. And who knows. It would be nice if I succeeded…_ The hope slowly grew, pushing the doubt and worries aside to a corner at the very back of his mind. A small smile spread on his lips as he let out a shaky breath.

“Thanks Skip.”

“What are friends for Dusty? I’m happy to help.”

Skipper smiled in return and slowly brought a small distance between them.

“Now that you’ve talked about it, do you think you’re up for some training? Without almost crashing?”

Dusty’s smile grew at the familiar tone. He was slowly beginning to accept what their little talk had revealed to him.

“Absolutely Skipper.”

“Then what are you waiting for?”

And with that, Skipper made a sharp turn and headed back to Propwash Junction full throttle.

“Hey, no fair. That’s cheating!”

Laughing, Dusty sped up and raced after his friend. With the wind passing by, his worries seemed to be carried away, one by one and he slowly found himself relaxing, settling into the familiar thinking process of racing.

_Thank you, Skip. I needed that._


	2. That's... Actually not a bad idea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi,  
> Hope you all had a great second adven. As promised, here's the next chapter, hope you all enjoy it!  
> And thank you so much for the feedback I've gotten, you really made my day. 
> 
> I hope you have fun with chapter two :)

Maru sighed. Watching the usually so lively base in its current state of quietness felt seriously wrong. To say that he’d never thought the day would come where he’d call the base too quiet was the understatement of the century and three weeks ago he would have given anything for five minutes of peace. Now the silence felt strangely hollow. Shaking his head Maru turned from staring out on the empty center of the base to looking at the mess in front of him. _Mainline’s busted. Again… Oh joy._ Sighing he started dismantling the pipe piece by piece, to find out where the problem was situated.

_This would be a lot easier if everyone wasn’t acting so depressed. The Jumpers aren’t even racing! Not to mention mister ‘I’m corebroken’._

Heaving an angry sigh he decided that that just wouldn’t do. _They’re acting like he’s dead, not like he’s just gone home. Seriously, what’s up with this gloomy atmosphere?!_ He let his gaze wander, taking in the sight of a quiet base and the burned forest in the background. The image was fitting their current emotional state. _I never thought that I’d ever hope for something to happen, but we need something to do and fast. If this goes on any longer, someone’s going to die from depression._ Of course there weren’t any fires. The park was closed and the weather was nice. On top of that, there wasn’t much left that could burn in the first place. A park restoration project was planned, but it didn’t get very far. They had all agreed to shift the budget that they didn’t absolutely need to the project and help where ever they could, but the money wasn’t nearly enough to cover even a quarter of the expenses. _At this rate, Piston Peak will have seen its last summer…_ Glaring at the pieces in front of him, he had to admit that he wasn’t any better. _It’s just not the same._ Even Patch had lost her cheerful spirit judging from the melancholic music that could be heard throughout the base. _This has to end! NOW!_

“OKAY, THAT’S IT! I’ve been enduring this behavior for the past five days. Come on people, he’s just a few miles away, not out of the world. Get your tailpipes out here and start being productive. If I have to hear one more depressing song I’M GOING TO JUMP OF THE NEXT CLIFF! That includes you Blade!”

“Maru. We are currently forcefully off duty. How I spend my free time, as long as I’m not endangering myself or others, is none of your concern.”

_Yeah right. Because you drowning in… whatever this is, is doing you so much good._

“Really Blade? This again? I thought you said you were way past that. To me, you look more like back to square one!”

Blade shot him a glare before pointedly turning his back and rolling to his hangar, slamming the door shut. _Just great. We’re below square one…_ Maru knew from experience that it was no use to try and help Blade when he was shutting himself off like that. He could partially understand what was going on in the helicopter’s mind: He hadn’t been in love since what happened to Nick almost 40 years ago. Now he was head over wheels in love with someone he barely knew. It must’ve been like a shock to him that only now registered. And on top of that, nearly all of Piston peak, the home that he had vowed to protect with his life was destroyed with no hope of being fixed any time soon. Yes, he could understand why Blade was reverting back to his old self, the one that first came to Piston Peak. Still, he wasn’t going to let it happen. _I’ll coax you out of your shell. You’ll see._

He’d been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn’t noticed the rest of the team gathering around him, worried expressions on their faces from seeing their chief in this state. Maru forgot sometimes that with the exception of Windlifter nearly half of Blade’s past was unknown to them. To them, the entire scene must have made no sense at all, and since Blade always made sense it was understandable that it worried them.

“What was that all about?”

Dipper managed to sound concerned and curious at the same time, equal questions mirrored on the faces of the others. Sighing Maru gave up on the pipe and turned towards them.

“He’s a little down, that’s all. We nearly lost our home, not to mention that we’ll be fired if the restoration project doesn’t get enough money. There’s no need for aerials when there is nothing to protect. What little is left right now the ground patrol can handle.”

It only occurred to him that that wasn’t exactly a soothing thought either when he felt his own anxiety rise at the statement. It was harsh, but it was the reality. If there weren’t any big changes in the foreseeable future the Piston Peak Air Attack would be history. _Crap._ He watched helplessly as the others stared at him in shock, none of them having thought about that particular fact at all. They’d all been too focused on the SEAT.

“You’re saying…”

“…that they’ll shut us down?”

“For good?”

“As in ‘Farewell’ instead of ‘See You’?”

“We’ll be thrown out?”

The despair latched to the Smokejumpers voices spoke right out of his core and he wished he could deny it, but no matter how much he wanted to, he couldn’t change it.

“Unless we come up with a way to get 5 Billion credits and then some within the next week, that might happen.”

“And that’s only for the basic nature restoration…”

“Exactly.”

To get enough money to restore the park to the way it had been would be nearly impossible to do at all let alone in a week. The more he thought about it, the more obvious it became that they were doomed.

“What about a charity event?”

Dipper, who had been quiet so far, suddenly pointed out, looking a bit unsure but hopeful at the others.

“I mean, lots of people like Piston Peak and its beauty. Cad made sure that as many rich and famous people as possible know about it. We could ask them for help and offer them free stays at the Lodge in return. And we could ask Dusty if he can get some of his racing colleagues to compete in a race through the Park. We could sell tickets, maybe even some backstage tickets and also use it to draw attention to us and ask for more donations. If we spread the word enough we might get enough contributions to keep this park alive.”

“That’s… actually not a bad idea.”

“Why didn’t we think of that sooner?”

“I mean hello, we got connections!”

“On the double. I’m sure we could get some old CHoPs fans to donate as well. Maybe Blade will put on his ChoPs paintjob for a meet and greet or something.”

Maru winced at the idea, automatically imagining how that would go and quickly shook his head.

“Nah, let’s stick to Dusty and that race. Some things are best to stay in the past.”

“Aw, you’re no fun.”

“Kilawou.”

That silenced them and, Maru hoped, made them accept leaving Blade out of this.

“His Birthday is coming up. We could kill two birds with one stone and make that race his birthday present. He’s never seen Dusty race, I’m sure he’d appreciate it.”

Maru had to fight down his smirk at the implications Windlifter’s suggestion bore, especially the way he said it. Again, something that the other’s didn’t understand, but that made it all the more fun. _Wind’s right though. I bet my tailpipe that Blade would like that surprise._

“And when all the formalities of the race are done and dealt with, we can leave the guests to Jammer and come up here for a more _private_ birthday party. With Dusty.”

_Blade will be thrilled._

His smirk was perfectly audible in his suggestion and to his surprise, he saw Windlifter stifling a laugh.

“He’d like that indeed.”

The two shared a knowing glance before regaining their composure and facing the rest of the team. Still smiling Maru took it upon himself to take over the organization of their newfound plan.

“It’s settled then. Dynamite, you and your team have the most experience when it comes to any kind of racing and planing a race course. Dipper, out of all of us you know best what aerial races look like and how that will be compatible with what we have here. You six will be planing the racecourse. Windlifter, you’ll go and inform Jammer of our plans and see what he thinks. I’m putting you in charge of anything that has to do with setting up the racecourse and instructing Jammer. Cabbie, you’re in charge of supplies and deliveries. I’ll handle things with Dusty and keep Blade occupied. Jumpers, when you’re done with the racecourse start planning the party. And make it a good one… You all copy that?”

“Copy that!”

Before Maru could do as much as blink, the Jumpers and Dipper were gone, their discussion still audible but quiet enough for Blade not to hear. Windlifter was gone without a trace as well, presumingly to the Lodge to inform Ranger Jammer of their ideas. That left him to contact Dusty. A part of him still couldn’t believe what just happened, it had all come so suddenly. _Well, as long as it solves all our problems who am I to complain?_ Smiling with relief he made his way to the garage, double checking that Blade was still in his hanger and busy sulking before closing the door. Getting on the horn to Propwash Junction in general was easy. His radio was answered by a soft voice that seemingly belonged to a female.

“Propwash Junction communications tower, how can I help you today?”

He’d have to ask Dusty for his private horn frequency so that they could communicate directly in the future. For now, this had to do.

“Yeah, hello. Could you connect me to Dusty Crophopper please?”

“May I ask what your business with him is?”

Now she sounded suspicious. Maru belatedly remembered that Dusty probably got a lot of radios from stalkers and fans that were trying to get his private frequency. It only made sense that the people Dusty wanted to talk to had his frequency. _We really should have thought of that._

“I’m from Piston Peak Air Attack, the place where Dusty trained to be a firefighter. There’s something regarding the Air Attack that I need to talk to him about. He is officially listed as a member of our team.”

“Then why wouldn’t you have his home frequency?”

The suspicion in her voice grew and Maru couldn’t blame her. It really did sound like a lame attempt to get patched through.

“Okay, listen. I can understand why you’re suspicious. How about you patch me through to Mayday instead? Is that okay?”

He could give Mayday their horn frequency and ask him to give it to Dusty so that he could radio back. That probably was a better idea, seeing how the plane might not even be in his hangar when he tried radioing. Him knowing the old firetruck was apparently enough proof that he was trustworthy, so the connection went silent for a few seconds before Maru could hear the old firetruck answering.

“What’s that about a call from Piston Peak I hear? Is that you Blade?”

Maru’s smile widened. He hadn’t had that much to do with the old firetruck before. He knew that Mayday had saved Blade when he was still a trainee and had talked to the firetruck a few times shortly after Blade came to Piston Peak. Still, the truck had an aura around him that just made him likable.

“Nah, this is Maru. The mechanic.”

“Ah, Blade’s caretaker.”

_Yep. Got to like that firetruck…_

“So, what can I do for you today? Is something wrong with Blade?”

“Actually there is, but that’s not the reason I radioed. Could you give Dusty our horn frequency and tell him to radio when he’s got the time?”

“Need him back already, huh? Well, I’ll pass it along. Anything else bothering you?”

“No, apart from that I’m good.”

“Then I wish you a good day. And tell Blade to radio me from time to time. Maybe I can help him.”

_I doubt it, but it’ll be good for him to have you back in his life again._

“Sure thing Mayday.”

Still smiling he hung up. Now he’d just have to wait. _Surprising how one little conversation can make you feel so much better. Maybe I should go check on Blade and pass along that message._ Before he could leave his hangar though, his horn crackled to life, indicating that someone was radioing.

“Well, that was quick…”

Picking up the horn he remembered that it might be someone entirely different, and in a flash of fear hoped that it wasn’t Cad who somehow found a way to harass them again. Shaking his head at his own stupid thoughts he picked up the horn and answered dutyfully.

“Piston Peak Air Attack, this is Maru speaking.”

“Hi Maru. Mayday said to radio you. You’re lucky you radioed when you did, I was about to head out for a training camp overseas. You know, with all the others. It’s an annual tradition, to make sure we all keep in touch and stay on friendly terms if possible. Anyway, what is it you wanted to talk to me about? Nothing happened, did it?”

“Not what you’re thinking at least. You see, after this fire there isn’t much of Piston Peak left.”

“Yeah, I saw it when I flew home. There’s not even a third of what was there when I came.”

“Exactly. The thing is, we have a restoration project planned to return it to the state it used to be in, or at least as close as we get to that. The problem is, it’s too expensive for us to even remotely cover it. And on top of that, we’ll lose the Air Attack if we don’t find a way to get 5 Billion credits within the next week. There’s nothing left for us to protect…”

“Whoa whoa whoa, hold on a second. Are you saying Ranger Jammer will fire you?”

“Not if he can help it. Dipper, for once, had a really good idea. We just kind of need your help for it.”

“Tell me what to do. As far as I recall, I’m a part of this team.”

“Yeah, you are. Dipper thought that we could host a charity event, a race to be more precise. She thought that maybe you could ask all your racing buddies, preferably those that people know, if they were interested in competing in a charity race to save our park. We could sell tickets and maybe some  meet and greets, try and get some donations and use it to draw attention to ourselves.”

“That’s not such a bad idea. What about the race course?”

“ Oh, we’ve got that covered. I left Dipper and the Jumpers to it so expect it to be harsh.”

“Knowing them they’ll include an extra route for me…”

“Yeah, that could happen.”

Grinning Maru felt his core relax as the prospect of being able to save their park after all slowly became reality.

“So, does that mean you’re in?”

“Of course I am. And I’m sure I can convince some of my friends at the training camp to compete as well. I’ll put the word out for you. Just radio me as soon as you have any specific details like the date or anything. I’ll keep you updated on how many competitors we have.”

“Thanks, Dusty. You quite literally saved Piston Peak.”

_Again…_

“Hey, no need for flattery. First of all the job isn’t even done yet and second, I’m your teammate, it’s my job to care.”

“And that’s solid proof for anyone who knows him that you’re Blade’s trainee, princess.”

“Hey!”

Maru had to chuckle at the plane’s semi insulted and a bit amused tone. _I wouldn’t be me without some teasing, now would I._

“Anything else? I mean, not that it’s not nice talking to you, but I kind of have to go.”

“No problem. Have fun at your camp. Oh, and Dusty? We’re trying to do the race on Blade’s birthday if we can manage that. It’s supposed to be his present so please don’t contact him at all, or answer any radios you get from Piston Peak. When you need information just radio this horn frequency, I’ll be there.”

“Isn’t that a little cruel to Blade.”

“Nope.”

Maru grinned, already imagining the helicopter’s reaction to their little plan.

“A little teasing’s never done any harm. On the contrary… He’ll be so much happier to see you.”

“Okay, if you say so…”

“Thank you Dusty.”

“Well, have a nice day Maru.”

“You too Dusty. And be safe.”

With that, their conversation ended. Now he’d just have to wait and see how things turned out. And distract Blade, though in his current state that shouldn’t be too difficult. Sighing he remembered that the mainline was still waiting outside to be repaired and reattached. _Well, back to work. At least it won’t be so silent anymore. Preparations are going at full speed._


	3. Wouldn't miss it for the world

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's the next one! 
> 
> Hope you all like it. Enjoy :)

Waking up to the chirping of birds had always been pleasant to Blade. That moment when you weren’t fully awake yet and their gentle song carried on your dream just a bit longer. It always felt like nothing bad could ever happen then. Their song was so calm. Turning around on his sleepingmat he let the sunshine shining through his window warm his plating and hummed appreciatingly. _This day is going to be a good day._ He was fairly sure of that, especially when was awake enough to register what day it was. _My birthday…_ Even though he wasn’t one for celebrations, he had made it tradition that the birthdays of the team were always celebrated thoroughly. For having to deal with the loss of life on a regular basis, be it that of a plant or a plane, Blade deemed it important to celebrate the existence of their own life. And what better day to do that than a birthday?  A small smile made its way to his lips as he wondered what the crew had planned this year. _They’ve always thought of something bigger than the year before. I wonder what they did this time._ Still smiling he exited his hangar, fully prepared to be drowned in confetti and cheers. Instead, he was met by an empty base.

“Hello?”

_Maybe they just want to surprise me._

“Guys?”

_Or not…_

“Is anybody here?”

The base remained silent. _They wouldn’t…_

“Anybody?”

His good mood from his gentle awakening slowly dispersed, gradually being replaced by a sadness that Blade hadn’t thought would be as strong as it was. _They forgot…_ It was the first time since he became chief that any birthday had ever been forgotten. It stung. Logically he knew that they had enough problems on their minds without having to plan a surprise for him, but that irrational part in him that was currently controlling the majority of his feelings was deeply hurt. _It’s like the park is more important to them than I am._ Which was currently the case, seeing how they would be fired if they didn’t get the needed money in time. _It still feels like they just stopped caring. They could have at least congratulated me. It would have been enough… Instead they just- Where are they anyway?_

Sighing he made his way over to the garage to at least get some fuel. _Alone…_ A small hopeful part of him still expected his team to jump out of the storage room any second but of course, the door stayed shut and when Blade opened it he found the room empty save for their fuel supplies.

_Well, I can’t say I’m not disappointed… I guess I was just hoping for something. Dusty didn’t radio either. He probably doesn’t even know that today_ is _my birthday. Even if he did, would he care? Maybe I should radio him. I could use his voice right now._

Ignoring the fact that the plane hadn’t answered any of his radios over the past week, Blade picked a can of standard oil and rolled over to Maru’s horn. Putting in Dusty’s frequency he waited with a hopeful smile on his face at the prospect of talking to his Champ. As the seconds went on though, slowly turning into minutes, and the silence stretchted, even that small flicker of happiness left him. _Guess today is just not my day. My team forgot me, my love is ignoring me and if we don’t get 5 Billion credits soon we’ll lose our jobs. Happy Birthday…_

Resigning himself to his fate Blade tried his best to ignore the sting in his core and treat the day like he would have any other. _If they all forgot, it’s for the best if I forget too. It’ll be less painful that way. Who knows, maybe they’ll remember later._

It was then that he saw the note that was laying on the floor in front of the door to the storage room. He had no idea how he’d missed it before, but it was plainly obvious now and demanded to be read. Sighing again he gulped down the remainder of his oil and went over to the note.

-Hey Blade. As soon as you fueled get down to the Lodge. We’re having an emergency meeting with Jammer regarding the money. Maru-

Blade felt his tanks churn a little at the thought of having to explain to Jammer that they hadn’t come up with a way to get the money yet. He just hoped that Jammer wouldn’t have to fire them. _And all of this on my birthday._ With a heavy core and an uneasy feeling he took off, unconsciously taking the longest possible route to the Lodge to prolong the inevitable as long as possible. _As if drawing it out will change anything. If anything they’ll be in a sour mood because I’m late._ Still, every screw in his entire body twisted at the thought of what he knew was coming.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t even notice when he reached the Lodge and automatically descended, subconscious taking over. He only realized that he had reached his destination when suddenly a large rag was thrown over him the moment his wheels touched the ground. For a moment everything in Blade stilled, blank panic coursing through his lines on instinct. _Kidnapping?_ The initial shock passed and Blade tried to start his rotors to get away, only to feel a tow hook getting attached to the rag and once more stilling him. The giggles that were accompanying his ‘captors’ were all too familiar. _I should have known… Kidnappers, out here? Pfft, sooner will Windlifter talk like the rest of the lot. They remembered after all._ Relaxing again he let himself be towed away by his giggling jump crew. The fact that they remembered his birthday after all was wiping every negative thought away, filling him with happiness and anticipation. Around him he began to register more and more voices, most of which he couldn’t place. _Just what exactly did you plan?_

Feeling his involuntary ride come to a halt he could make out Maru’s hushed voice, giving the Jumpers instructions. Not wanting to spoil their fun Blade concentrated on the background noise, still trying to make out what this was all about.

“Ready for a surprise Blade?”

Maru’s voice suddenly so close to him startled him and he let out a small squeak.

“Yep, he’s ready. Dipper, you’re good to go in 3… 2… 1… NOW!”

And with that, the rag was pulled away. Blade had to close his eyes at the sudden brightness and was once again surprised when he suddenly heard Dipper, quite loudly, over what sounded like speakers.

“Ladies and gentleplanes. We welcome you all to the ‘Save Piston Peak charity race’. Today we’ll have multiple races featuring some of the most famous air racers around the world. We also have some hiking tours and Kids program for all our little ones here. Everything that we earn today will go straight to our restoration project so that our beautiful Piston Peak will soon be back to the way it was. I thank you all for your contribution. And now let’s not keep you waiting: LET THE RACING BEGIN!”

Somewhere around the middle of that speech Blade was able to open his eyes again. What he saw was breathtaking. All around there were grandstands full of what looked like thousands of cars and planes. Large screens were set up, showing something that looked like an obstacle course. Being distracted by everything that he saw that definitely hadn’t been there before, Blade didn’t really comprehend what Dipper was saying. Only when she started yelling did he register her words.

“Wait. Race? What-“

“Shhh!”

The Jumpers instantly shushed him, Blackout even going as far as to place his saw in front of Blade’s mouth, only to quickly pull it away and shoot him a sheepish look. Too confused to object them, he complied and turned his gaze back to the large space in front of him. For a moment it was dead silent, everyone in the crowd seemingly tense with anticipation. Then a flash of red, white and black flew past them and the crowd roared to life, cheering the plane on. Blade’s eyes automatically followed the plane, glued to his every move. Then he saw the pontoons and it clicked. _No way! Dusty?! He’s here…_

Dusty moved through the racecourse with the same ease he had through the canyon. He soon left their visual range, from then on being portrayed on the screens. Blade watched in awe as Dusty barrel rolled through the Piston Peak before going into a sharp turn and through the next air inflated obstacles. The row of differently heightened and shaped inflations lead right to Anchor Lake. From there, the racecourse took a turn to the right, leading into Augerin Canyon. Blade had to grin when he saw the plane move through it with such speed that he might as well have been fighting a fire. He felt his core swell with pride as he saw the SEAT move under the bridge and pull up, just like he taught him. A small nagging part insisted that something bad was going to happen but Blade shoved it down and concentrated on the fine movements of his Champ.

Having reached the end of the waterfall Dusty shot over the edge and turned around in a reverse loop, heading back over the canyon and towards Rail Ridge. As soon as he circled the rock formation, going into a loop through an obstacle on top, he went back to flying through the inflations with sharp turns and as much speed as possible. When he reached the Thunderbolt Bluffs there was a cross-turn where Dusty first flew a sharp curve to the right before going through the obstacle again and then heading back to the Lodge at maximum torque. _Redline._ It was amazing. All too soon Dusty was back in sight, going through a red laser line that Blade hadn’t even noticed was there and finishing his round with the loud beep of a timer. As soon as the beep was heard, Blade was suddenly pushed out in the open and before he could move out of the way he saw Dusty fly towards him and open his tanks. Before he knew it he was covered in water mixed with glitter and confetti was thrown on him from all around.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY BLADE!”

Dusty shouted over the roar of the crowd and turned around again to land on the runway. Blade couldn’t believe it. _He congratulated me!_ His core was doing backflips inside his tanks and the smile on his face was bright enough to shame the sun. A soft punch to his sides pulled him out of his happy daze and he looked at Maru, the goofy grin still in place.

“Hope you liked our surprise.”

“Are you kidding? That was amazing!”

“I’d hope it was. I think I broke my record out there.”

The plane came up from behind, giving Blade a quick nuzzle and a tailbump.

“Happy birthday Blade.”

“YEAH!”

“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Blade, happy birthday to you.”

They were totally off key and their little song was interrupted by Pinecone’s and Drip’s giggles but Blade’s core was still warmed.

“Thanks guys.”

“After everything that happened, we thought you could use a soak.”

Windlifter smiled at him innocently and Maru snorted, absentmindedly rubbing the lift that he punched Blade with free of glitter.

“That was for the dying crops.”

Dusty winked at him and Blade cracked up, laughing at the playful mocking.

“Well, I hope you’re having fun. You’re off duty today so go and enjoy the event.”

“Trust me Maru, I will.”

“Well, I have to go. That was only the agility race. I still have the speed- and the competitor race to compete in. See you later Blaze, enjoy your birthday.”

With that, the plane turned around and made his way over to the coaches where Skipper was waiting. Blade found his gaze following the plane’s every move until he disappeared in a tent. _Blaze?_ It had a nice ring to it. _I think I like that…_ His tanks felt nice and warm at the thought of getting to see Dusty race again.  The way he leaned into those turns when the wind played with his wings and his look of determination when he was concentrating on the task at hand…

“You’re blushing.”

Maru whispered mockingly and when Blade spun around, his face only heating more, he saw the forklift laughing and Windlifter wiggling his eyelids. _Since when are you overly expressive? I thought you were the strong silent type. I can handle mocking from Maru but you too, Windlifter?_ Maru patted his side again, still grinning.

“Hey, it’s your birthday today. Stop glaring and start enjoying your present. The race is still going you know.”

That was enough to pull Blade’s attention back to what was happening in front of them. He had to admit it was a fascinating sight. None of the other planes came anywhere close to Dusty’s level, at least not in his opinion, but that might have something to do with Dusty having a home-field advantage and maybe a little bit with his feelings. Blade had to snort at his own thoughts. _Yep, it’s official. I’m a love-struck idiot._ As if hearing his thoughts, Dusty appeared in the sky again, winking at Blade before crossing the laser line and starting the speed race. The pattern he wove through the sky was one that Blade would never get tired of watching. No matter how he looked at it, it simply was amazing. _How did I ever hold a grudge against you for being one of them? You’re fucking awesome!_ Judging by the looks he was receiving, he had said that last bit out loud. _Oh well, might as well make the most of it and cheer him on properly._

“Come on Champ, you can do it. REDLINE IT!”

His core stopped for a moment, then resumed beating with twice its normal pace. That particular line would always give him the chills. There were too many painful memories attached to it. To Dusty though, it seemed to only spur him on and encourage him to go even faster.

“Hah, would you look at that.”

“What do you mean?”

“He’s actually listening to you. Congratulations Blade, you finally got him to follow orders.”

The grin in Maru’s voice was audible and Blade just chuckled.

“I can hear you, you know.”

“Champ?”

“Oh, I made sure he’s part of the conversation via radio, so he can hear your cheering over that of the crowd.”

“Maru!”

_Well, this is awkward._

“Aw, don’t be mad at him. I don’t get to be cheered on like that every day, so go on. I was having a blast.”

_Why does this feel so humiliating?_

“Oh come on Blade. It’s just a little fun. No harm done.”

He had to admit that this was kind of cool. With a smile he turned towards the radio, his eyes never leaving his Champ.

“You’re right. And Dusty…”

“Yeah Blade?”

“Go win yourself another trophy, Champ.”

This time his voice was full of affection, the statement meaning pretty much the opposite of what it had the last time he had yelled it in the heat of their fight. The line stayed quiet after that, but Blade could still hear his smile. _Looks like I’m making up for that first week of me being a total idiot. I’m glad it’s getting better._ Dusty crossed the finishl ine again and the crowds cheering went through the roof. Blade found himself being swept along by the sheer feeling of admiration and pure happiness. This was by far the best birthday present they could ever have given him.

                 a

Blade had rarely found anything so enjoyable and quietly wondered why he hadn’t noticed how fun watching racing was sooner. It was a really popular sport so how he had managed to avoid it, especially with Dipper and Patch on his team, he had no clue. The rest of the afternoon simply flew by and after he had washed off his involuntary new paintjob, all the races had finished all too soon. Dusty ended up winning the agility race and came in close second at the speed contest. The trophy that he had mockingly waved in front of Blade’s nose was now safely sitting together with all the money that they raised. Blade had no idea that there would be so many people wanting to help, even if it was just a small contribution, all summed up together they got a bit over 13 Billion Credits. The tickets, the bets, the contributions from the guests and some major sponsors who wanted to help restore the beauty that they formerly enjoyed. _Who knew that Cad trying to get every celebrity possible in here would actually come in handy some day?_ Each of the racers had contributed a fair share as well and all in altogether it ended up as that unbelievingly big sum. _I still can’t believe it… We’ll be able to save the park!_

“Incredible, isn’t it? I mean, I knew the idea was good but I had no idea that it was going to get us this much. It’s almost 3 times as much as we needed.”

“It’s official, this is the best birthday present that you guys could ever have given me. Thank you, all of you.”

“No problem Blade. It was actually quite fun. And it’s nice to just race for the sake of doing it every once in a while. This was really great.”

“Well, I’m glad you liked it. I sure know I did.”

Chuckling quietly he gave the plane a tailbump before turning to the rest of his team.

“So, are we all just going to stay here or do you have something else planned for the day?”

“For the day? No, not really. The day’s almost over though, so why don’t you come on up to the Air Attack for the night. I heard there’s supposed to be a party...”

In his entire time at Piston Peak, he had only seen that smug teasing smile on Maru’s face a handful of times. It just made him grin back and the feeling of happiness that had been there all day spread even more.

“Sounds like a plan. You coming Dusty?”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world."


	4. This is just... Amazing!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's the next one! Hope you all had a great third advent and that you're all enjoying the story so far! And thank you for the feedback that I'm getting, it really makes my day every time and it's really inspiring :)

Ditching the mass of fans that seemingly wanted to glue themselves to Dusty’s side was somehow fairly easy. Blade suspected that Windlifter had something to do with it, but as long as they could leave, he wasn’t going to complain. Still smiling that bright smile that had been glued to his face ever since he landed at the Lodge this morning, Blade stayed close to Dusty as they flew the relatively short distance to their base. Surprisingly Dusty had told his friends to stay behind and enjoy a free evening at the Lodge instead of bringing them along. It was an unexpected but undeniably pleasant surprise. The colors of the early sunset were sparkling of Dusty’s plating and Blade felt his cooling fans turn on at the sight. Quickly speeding up to cover over the quiet hum and ignoring the catcalls that Maru threw at him from Windlifters side, he silently cursed. _Why do you have to be so beautiful?_ This was slowly getting out of hand. He had never reacted to such feelings this strongly before, not even with Nick and that had to mean something. Shaking his head and shoving the thought away, he decided to ponder on it later, preferably when no one was around to watch him lose his cool. _That’s right. Right now I have a birthday party to enjoy._

“A credit for your thoughts?”

Dusty had pulled up next to him and shot him a soft look.

“That obvious, huh?”

The plane chuckled, shaking his head before turning it into a sheepish nod.

“Well, kind of, yes.”

The smile in Dusty’s voice was warm, causing Blade’s own smile to soften as he let himself just cherish the moment.

“Guess I’m just overwhelmed by all of this. I mean, just this morning I thought we were going to lose our jobs and then suddenly there’s a racecourse and you were there and I just… I still don’t know what to say.”

“I know what you mean. It felt kind of the same when my gearbox failed, only that that was a negative surprise. Then again, I wouldn’t have met you if it hadn’t been for my gearbox, so I guess I should be thankful. I wouldn’t want to imagine my life without you.”

“Funny how a day can change your life, isn’t it?”

“It most definitely is.”

They reached the Air Attack and for the second time that day Blade was utterly speechless at the sight before him. All over the base were decorations, balloons and pictures from the past year that he had never noticed being taken. There were even some with him and Dusty on them. Making a mental note to snack a copy of those he let his gaze roam over the decorated main area, stopping on the huge cake that was placed in the middle.

“Okay, who did you guys threaten to burn if they didn’t help you make all of this?”

“Aww, come on Blade. Can’t a few loyal firefighters organize an awesome party for their favorite chief of all time who happens to be one of their best friends?”

“Oh cut the flattery. I can’t believe you did all this. This is big, even for your standards, a simple card and maybe  some good oil would have been enough.”

“Speaking of which, I brought cocktails. Thought it would go nicely with the cake.”

Grinning Dusty motioned over to the garage, where a huge crate stood in the entrance.

“Got some non-alcoholic ones too for those of us that can’t hold their highgrade.”

When everyone simultaneously glanced at Dipper, Blade had to chuckle at the implication. It was probably for the best though, he wasn’t in the mood to fight their retardant tanks tonight. Looking around some more, he spotted speakers and what looked like it was supposed to be a DJ’s booth. _Guess it’s going to be a dance party then._ Back when he was still with CHoPs, he and Nick used to go out dancing all the time. To be fair, at least half of the time it had been for shooting a scene but they had danced all the same. Smiling as he saw the Jumpers excited expressions when Patch rolled up to the booth, he turned towards Dusty.

“May I have this dance?”

For a short moment, he felt his core clench. This used to be how he asked Nick to dance when they were filming. The smile that Dusty was giving him chased the hurt away though, replacing it with an unbelievable joy that swept through him from his rotors to his wheels.

“Sure thing partner, I’d be honored.”

“Well then, Champ. Let’s see if your skills on the dance floor can measure up to your skills in the air.”

“Oh, you’re in for a surprise Blaze. And I mean one of the good kind.”

Laughing Dusty nudged him with his wing and before he knew it, they were twirling around the dance floor. Dusty took over the lead, leading him in a pattern that was new to him but that he found easy to follow with his Champ’s guide. He seldom lost himself in anything, but he was completely engrossed in this dance, the intricate steps, the beautiful spins, the way that they moved together and how it all fit together so effortlessly. It was like they were in their own little world and Blade never wanted it to end. At some point, even the melody faded into the background and from then on, it was just Dusty and him, him and Dusty, and their beautiful, beautiful dance. Dusty pulled him close, using his wings to direct him, spun him around, leaned away only to twirl towards him again in that beautiful way of his, spinning them both around again before bowing slightly and rolling under Blade’s tail to pull him from the other side. On and on he went, and Blade found himself injecting a few moves into their pattern every now and then, occasionally taking over and pulling his Champ close. It felt so right, and he was sure that they looked beautiful like this. A small part of him absentmindedly noticed the flash of a camera but he paid it no mind, too happy to notice anything but the beautiful plane in front of him. As the song slowly came to an end, Blade found himself emerging from that wonderful world and was greeted by a variation of awed and disbelieving faces.

“Wow…”

“I knew you could dance, but that was just…”

“Unbelievable.”

“Awesome!”

“Beautiful.”

“I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Blade felt his cheeks heating at the compliments and was glad to see his expression mirrored on the Champs face. _At least this time I’m not the only one._ Shooting Dusty a sheepish grin, he slowly let go of his dance partner, belatedly realizing that he was still holding him close.

“You weren’t kidding Champ, that was a surprise of the good kind.”

“Care to do it again?”

Dusty shot him a brilliant smile, holding out his wheels in an inviting gesture and motioning to the dance floor. _Hell yeah!_

“Certainly. And the rest of you, don’t just stand there, there’s plenty of room!”

With that being said, the rest of the team, save for Patch who was still up in her makeshift booth, made their way to the dance floor and joined in on the fun. Blade had to smile fondly at what Drip apparently thought of as dancing and how the rest of his jump crew quickly adapted to jumping around and trying to bounce each other away. Maru was presenting what looked suspiciously like a very mocking version of the chicken dance and Windlifter surprisingly joined him. Cabbie remained on the sidelines, no surprise there, but even he was swaying to the music while he watched his proteges ‘dance’. Dipper was circling around them, no doubt trying to get Dusty’s attention, but to Blade’s relief, Dusty paid her no mind and instead spun him around again. _It’s never been this much fun before. I could do this all night._ And he intended to do just that, or at least as long as Dusty would have him. _Or until Dipper snatches him away._ He had no doubt that the SEAT would be less than thrilled when that happened but Dipper could be really persistent and she would pester him all night if she didn’t get at least one dance.

They danced with each other for about 6 songs, Blade had stopped counting after the second one. After that Dipper’s ‘request’ became impossible to ignore and Dusty offered her the following dance. Blade used the time to get one of the cocktails that Dusty had brought. They were looking quite delicious and it had been quite some time since he’d last had one. Silently smiling he chose an interesting looking green and blue mixture and grabbed another one for Cabbie before joining the old warplane on the sidelines.

“It’s funny how we’re always able to let go on these birthday parties. I mean, look at them. Have you ever seen Windlifter dance before?”

“Not with Maru, and certainly not the chicken dance.”

From the side the display looked even more ridiculous and Blade had a hard time not to laugh. The fact that Windlifter remained serious in literally any other situation only added to the absurdity and the Smokejumpers having joined them mid-way wasn’t helping in the slightest. Not even Dipper and Dusty slow-dancing in the background could spoil his fun, the SEAT’s expression was way too funny for that.

“We should really do this more often. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything funnier in my entire life…”

Cabbie was right, this was about the most ridiculous scene he could have imagined and that made it all the better.

“Do you know where Maru’s camera is?”

Blade didn’t care that the smirk in his voice was plainly obvious. This had to be captured for the posterity. Returning the smirk Cabbie motioned beside him and within a few seconds Blade was shooting picture after picture of the odd dancing habits of his crew. _I’ll never let them live this down._ He was having a blast. When the song came to an end he quickly put the camera back and went over to Dusty, who was handing Dipper a non-alcoholic cocktail. Dipper happily accepted it and, completely oblivious to the tension in the plane, pulled him close to her side.

“Oh Dustypoo, you’re such a good dancer.”

Blade could only shake his head. _I’m about as much in love with him as you are and even I’m not that oblivious… Then again, maybe I’m the oblivious one and Dusty not liking her advances is my wishful thinking._ The thought was unsettling, but he quickly shook his head. _Belony. My imagination isn’t that good._ Still not feeling quite at ease with the two of them together, he decided to intervene.

“Champ, could I talk to you for a second? There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”

The look of gratefulness was too strong for Blade to have imagined it and so he relaxed again as he led the plane away from the crowded main area and up to his little cliff.

“Thanks Blade. I was starting to get uncomfortable. I mean, nothing against Dipper, but it’s kind of awkward.”

“I take it you don’t return her affections then?”

_Just to be sure…_

“No. Don’t get me wrong, she’s nice and all, but I just don’t…”

He shot the plane a reassuring smile.

“No worries. I get what you’re trying to say. So, want me to come in and save you the next time she comes too close for your liking?”

It was meant as a joke, but the plane’s expression stayed dead serious.

“Would you? She is a part of your team…”

“So are you.”

With that they fell into a comfortable silence. It was long past sunset and Blade found himself getting lost in the night sky. They seldom got a night as clear as this, and the stars seemed to shine even brighter than they usually did. There were so many of them too.

“Wow.”

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

“And I thought night skies at Propwash were spectacular, but this is just… Amazing!”

The excitement in the plane’s voice and look of wonder mixed with awe on the Champ’s face warmed Blade’s core.

“It’s not usually this good.”

“Well, then the sky knows it’s your birthday.”

They smiled at each other before returning their gazes to the incredible sight in front of them. Upon the cliff the view was even better, the forest was beneath them and out here there were no artificial lights or houses that could ruin the sight.

“Do you know any constellations?”

The question took him off guard and he actually had to think about it before answering.

“I used to. We had to learn them back when I was little. I don’t remember much of it though. It’s a shame.”

“Really? I could teach you again if you’re interested. I learned them back when I first started racing.”

“Figures. You guys use them to navigate, right?”

“Well, I do. It comes in handy when someone tampers with your antenna.”

“Who would do something like that?”

“That would be Ripslinger. He didn’t take it very well that I, a crop duster, was beating him in a race. He was world champion at the time. I was moving up the ranks and the crowd that used to adore him suddenly loved me, or at least some of them did. He sent his two henchmen and they ripped off my antenna midflight. It was in the middle of the day though, so I got lost big time. If it hadn’t been for the Jolly Wrenches I wouldn’t be alive anymore.”

“That’s…”

_I can’t believe anyone would do something like that. That’s attempted murder!_

“Awful? Mean? Uncalled for? Well, he got his punishment for it. I did win the Wings Around The Globe and he got banned from tournaments for a few months.”

_A few months?!_

“That doesn’t make it right! He tried to kill you.”

“Twice. The second time it was Skipper who saved me, but you already know that story.”

“The ‘heroic good looking knight in shining armor’?”

“Exactly.”

Dusty chuckled quietly at the mentioning of Chug’s storytelling.

“Now I get a question. Why did you become a firefighter?”

Blade hesitated for a moment. _What now? Tell him the truth? Or maybe just parts of it?_ His core decided for him and the words left his mouth before he could stop them.

“Have you ever heard of CHoPs?”

A part of him hoped that he hadn't, but then again, he was in love with this plane. If that wasn’t a good enough reason to trust him, nothing was.

“I have. It’s quite a good show.”

Blade’s face lit up at that. Somehow the fact that Dusty liked the show, liked his old self, felt like the best compliment Dusty could have given him at the moment. It made his core flutter and he shot the Champ a brilliant smile, unable to contain his sudden joy.

“Good. I guess that you know that the show discontinued rather abruptly too. Do you know why?”

That was the hard part. Thinking of Nick became less and less painful as the years went by and at this point he was able to look back on their time together with a smile most of the time. But no matter how many years passed, talking about the accident, that terrible day that had changed his life forever, always hurt. He had often tried to forget that fateful day and had failed every time. Even now there were times when the images forever burned into his memory haunted him. The last time he had talked about it had been about a year after he came to Piston Peak. _35 Years…_ He felt his core clench painfully at the mere thought, the sudden happiness disappearing as fast as it had emerged.

“I do. I saw the picture on the wall.”

Blade’s eyes widened a bit. _I thought Maru covered that up…_ A shiver ran through his entire body and he suddenly felt the urge to cry. Dusty instantly scooted over, nuzzling his side and gently rubbing it with his nose.

“Hey… Sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”

Shaking his head, Blade let a single tear escape as a sad smile spread on his lips.

“No, it’s alright. So, you know that Nick died. I was right there when it happened. I saw him lose control, I saw him crash and then I was at his side and I heard his screams and- There was nothing I could do, I didn’t know how, and by the time the rescue forces got there, it was too late. For the longest time, I thought that it was all my fault. I blamed myself for not knowing what to do. I made a promise to him. I promised that I would learn what to do. I promised to learn how to prevent others from going through what I did. So I went and got myself certified.”

“If you give up today…”

“Think of all the lives you won’t save tomorrow.”

“You loved him, didn’t you?”

Blade froze, his eyes going wide. _How did you know that? Did Maru tell you?_ The SEAT was quick to backpedal, shaking his head apologetically.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked. It’s none of my business, I-“

Shaking his head and effectively stopping the SEAT before he could lose himself in his rambling, he made up his mind. _I’ll tell you what you want to know. Just..._

“Return the favor.”

“Huh?”

“Let’s play 20 questions. You know, the question game. We take turns asking questions, we both tell the truth, no question gets denied.”

His core sped up at his own proposal. This had the potential to bring them closer together, but it could also destroy everything they had. _A double-edged sword._

“Okay. So, were you?”

“We were a couple, yes. How did you figure it out?”

“Is that your question?”

Blade nodded, a bit anxious to find out the answer. If Dusty knew, it was a possibility that the rest of the team did too.

“Well, don’t get mad at him, but after the mine, when you crashed, I was blaming myself. Maru took me to the garage and showed me the picture. He also told me the story how it got there and I don’t know… Maybe it was the way he said it, or something in the picture, maybe both. I just knew, or at least I was fairly sure that I knew.”

Before he could help it, a sigh of relief escaped him. _Thank Chrysler, it’s just you._

“How did you get to Piston Peak?”

“A lucky coincidence. The chief that trained me knew that Piston Peak was hiring, so he sent me here with a recommendation, I got the job and I never left. I fell in love with it, the park, the people, I wanted to keep it safe.”

The smile on his face was slowly turning happy again at the countless memories he had made since coming here.

“I know the feeling.”

Dusty’s smile was so fond. _I never saw you smile like that before._

“So, apart from racing and stargazing, what do you do in your free time?”

“Well, I don’t do much else. Between the races and the training and now the firefighting I don’t have that much free time.”

“Oh come on, you gotta have some hobby. Even I have one.”

“Oh yeah, what’s that?”

“First you answer.”

“I crochet.”

“Really? You?”

“Yep. Now, what do you do?”

“I observe nature’s little wonders. No, really, I can get lost in them for hours. There’s just so many beautiful things to watch: The clouds, the way the roots of a tree curl, the wildlife taking care of their young, stuff like that. It has always fascinated me, even more so after I came here and could actually watch them in person instead of just reading about them in all my books.”

He chuckled nervously, somehow he felt a bit self-conscious about it now. _There’s no reason to be insecure, he CROCHETS, that’s even more ridiculous. Scratch that, neither are ridiculous, they’re both perfectly fine ways to spend your time._

“It kind of fits you. And I can tell how much you enjoy it too. I’m just surprised you forgot the star constellations.”

Blade shot him a sheepish grin at that, feeling the need to explain.

“Well, we weren’t allowed to stay up late back under my first chief here, so I didn’t have the opportunity to go stargazing. By the time the next chief took over, I had gotten so used to it that I never really bothered to go out late. Somehow I forgot how nice it was.”

The smile was evident in his voice and he let his gaze roam over the thousands of stars above them. _They really are magnificent._

“So, my turn again. You said you and Skipper are just friends. Is there anyone else you like?”

The moment the words left his mouth he wanted to take them back. _Idiot!_ Dread rose in him and his core felt like it was going to burst out of his chest. He didn’t know which answer would be worse. The plane next to him had stiffened visibly and had averted his gaze when Blade tried to look at him. _This is bad…_ On top of his inner turmoil, he could feel himself blushing and cursed his hydraulics for picking the worst moments possible. Seconds of silence stretched and Blade silently prayed that something would happen, if only to stop the silence.

“BLADE! Where are you? Come out come out wherever you are. Seriously, it’s almost midnight and we haven’t eaten the cake yet! We have to do that while it’s still your birthday, come on!”

Drip’s voice sounded a bit slurry, but to Blade it was a blessing. Trying his best to act normal he ignored the awkward tension between them and turned around to head for the main area.

“Oh well, guess that’s it for today. Maybe we can continue another time. Come on Champ. Let’s go get some cake.”

He didn’t turn around to see if the SEAT was following him, but he was really hoping that he was. _Please don’t let me have destroyed what little friendship we had…_ His core was still racing and he mentally cursed himself again and again. _I’m such a Chrysler damn idiot! Damnit! Why couldn’t I just keep my mouth shut?_ When he reached the main area, he was greeted with cheers and Maru handed him a knife.

“Go on, cut it.”

“Yeah Blaze. Let’s see if it tastes as good as it looks.”

Immense relief washed through Blade at that moment. _Oh thank Chrysler._ He absentmindedly noticed that the Champ had even used his new nickname. _Guess I worried over nothing… Please don’t ever let anything like this happen again. I don’t think I’d survive that._ He still couldn’t quite believe what had just transpired, and in his happy haze he nearly missed the cake the first time he tried. Barely touching the baked good he cut of a rather pathetic looking slice from the side. The team cheered nonetheless, and when Dusty came up to him and nuzzled his side, snatching the plate away from him while doing so, it finally sank in that everything was alright. _No, it’s better than alright._ The clock struck midnight, and they all cheered for him one last time. _It’s wonderful!_


	5. Something interesting in the paper?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's the next one! Hope you all like it. And happy 3rd Advent and Merry Christmas in Advance.  
> Enjoy :)

About a month had passed since Dusty had left Piston Peak freshly certified and he was finally starting to get his life back in order. Rotating between being a racer and being a firefighter had become routine, talking to Blade on the horn was a firmly integrated part of his week and training both of his professions simultaneously had become something of a challenge that Dusty was all too willing to accept. Chug had taken it upon himself to create training scenarios that he tended to randomly shout at him through the radio in the midst of training his racing. The fact that Chug knew next to nothing about firefighting didn’t help at all, so most of the time those practices ended in a fit of laughter on Skipper’s side, but Dusty attempted each and every one of them nonetheless. _After all, nothing is impossible. I got certified through what might have been the biggest forest fire in the history of Piston Peak with a broken gearbox, I might as well expect the unexpected._

“Duster, Dust! You’re in the middle of nowhere with no backup in sight and a group of trees that are burning with a civilian trapped inside but you don’t have your pontoons! What do you do?”

After the first three times where Chug had insisted on playing the scenarios out, which had ended in Dusty nearly crashing while attempting to simultaneously scoop water of the river and release it on the shore, they had settled on keeping the firefighting theoretical. That kind of took the fun out of it, but it was a lot safer and Dusty was in no mood to crash again anytime soon. He’d had enough of that for a lifetime.

“I open one of my tiptanks, release the fuel over dry ground at a safe distance from the flames and then I use my tiptank to scoop.”

Dusty had long stopped imagining one of those scenarios actually happening, so his answer wasn’t really thought through most of the time. If anything that kind of training trained his instinct and improvisation skills, though Dusty was fairly sure that Blade would have his head if he ever dared to improvise in an actual emergency. _Then again, I don’t think that the mine was part of the plan back then._ Smiling grimly at the memory of that day, he went into a loop to get the thought out of his head. He only realized that the radio had gone quiet when Skipper suddenly appeared in his field of vision and motioned for the runway, a serious expression on his face that Dusty hadn’t seen there since Skipper had come to his rescue back in the desert. Something was wrong. His happy demeanor vanished within a corebeat and as Dusty followed his coach back to Propwash Junction an uneasy feeling was settling in his tanks. Whatever had just happened had been bad enough to shut up Chug and to do that, a small catastrophe had to happen. _What could happen in the course of a minute that is catastrophic enough to silence our blabbermouth?_ With each passing second Dusty felt himself tensing more and more and when they finally landed he was ready for almost anything. The initial relief that swept through him the moment that he laid eyes on his friends, alive, uninjured and glaring at a newspaper passed as quickly as it had come when he saw the outraged and disbelieving expressions on his friends’ faces. Sparky looked shocked, Dottie’s expression was that of a kicked puppy, and Chug looked like he was about to murder someone.

“Hey Guys, what’s up? Something interesting in the paper?”

That was the wrong thing to ask. It was like that one question set off a carefully restrained mix of emotions that they had somehow kept hidden so far and within a second everyone was shouting.

 “I can’t believe they would write something like this!”

“Yeah, I mean, look at this: Infamous racer bribes the rescue forces for image purposes! Image purposes!? Dusty Crophopper and fucking image purposes!!!”

“Yeah, as if you’d need that, right Dust?”

“And they call themselves a serious newspaper!?”

“Unbelievable!”

“Outrageous!”

“Shame them all!!!”

“Um, what’s going on here?”

That stopped their little outrage as quickly as it had begun, only for it to come back with twice the force. Chug practically slammed the newspaper in his face, way too close to read the headlines. Dusty instinctively tilted his head to bring some distance between him and the paper. When he finally managed to get a glimpse of what was written there he felt his fluids run cold. There it stood, black on white in obscenely large letters, so that the headline alone took over the front page. What followed after wasn’t much better, on the contrary, it made his tanks churn with a feeling that he couldn’t name but that felt increasingly worse with each word he read.

**_Infamous racer bribes the rescue forces for image purposes_ **

_Dusty Crophopper, star of the racing world and of the cores of all his fans has been a sensation from the very beginning of his career. From the first moment on he has surprised us again and again by winning yet another race against all odds and possibilities. He has proven his place in the racing class and as of now, it is unimaginable to host any important race without him. The fans love him, especially with his caring and modest demeanor. He led us all to believe that he was racing only for the sake of doing so, but now the shocking truth has been revealed. Dusty Crophopper has and always had only wanted one thing out of his entire career. The attention, the admiring, the fame! From the beginning on he has deceived all his fans and led them to believe his innocent pure farmboy act. And we all fell for it, he never gave us a reason not to believe him until now. But that has changed: As of late, the news got around that Dusty Crophopper has taken the time to train and later become a certified firefighter. Reasons for this or any kind of motivation weren’t directly given, though a trustworthy source confirmed that he apparently did it to ‘help his people’. A noble gesture it seems but after careful consideration it doesn’t seem quite possible for Dusty Crophopper to have done what he claims to have: Professional racing is a career that requires the racers complete devotion and a lot of his time. Any plane in the business can confirm this fact and the fact that between training and the scheduled races all over the world that under no circumstances there is time for a racer to have a second career on the side. It was officially confirmed by the TMST and the responsible division of our firefighting union that Dusty Crophopper has been trained and certified as part of the rescue force. Further on they gave information on Crophoppers ‘training’. While neither of our informants was present for said training, it is confirmed that Dusty Crophopper left Propwash Junction, his hometown, on July 24 th and came back there with a full certification on August 7th. In only 14 days he claims to have learned what others learn in no less than a year, at times even longer. Even if he proved to be some sort of natural at the art of fighting fire, it still seems impossible to cover the knowledge and experience of at least a year in only two weeks. Hence there is only one possible solution left to explain how Mister Crophopper was able to obtain his certification within the aforementioned time: He must have bribed the ones responsible for giving such a certificate of achievement, including his supposed coach, whose name will not be mentioned due to the possibility of Mister_ _Crophopper having used not only money as a bribe but also the threat of physical harm if the chief were not to comply. This of course, sheds a whole new light on the innocent dreamer as we all have seen him up to now. With his career going as well as it does Crophopper possesses the money necessary for such a bribe and from his years of farming, as he continuously shows with his racing, he has gathered a lot of strength, enough to cause physical harm if he wishes to. All this leaves one question open though: Why did Dusty Crophopper go to such lengths? He had the fans all wrapped up in his charm and was already one of the top racers, both by talent and popularity. The answer is simple: People like that can’t ever get enough! Apparently being a top racer and loved by all fans wasn’t good enough for him, he had to be a good Samaritan by becoming a rescue operator as well. The reason for writing this article is, that we only think it fair that all his fans and supporters know the truth about Dusty Crophopper’s personality: A cheap lier and deceiver that only cares about his image._

It was dead quiet. No one quite dared to move, the shock still too deeply ingrained as the meaning of what he had just read began to fully sink in. _It’s national news…_ His friends were looking at him with varying degrees of worry on their faces, like he was fragile, made out of porcelain, about to break. _Everyone will have read this…_

“Dusty…”

_Everyone will believe this!_

“Come on Dust, it’s not the end of the world…”

_Ishani, Bulldog, El Chupacabra, Rochelle, all of them will-_

“Yeah, I mean, every famous person has their scandal. You wouldn’t be a real star without it!”

The glare that Chug received for that held enough poison to kill an army.

_A scandal? But… It’s not true!_

“Look Dusty, I’m sure that your peers at Piston Peak will have read this article too. They’ll clear it all up, you’ll see. You’ll be swamped by apology letters in no time.”

_That’s right… They’ll all read it… Blade will read it… He’ll think I deceived him all this time!_

All rational thought had disappeared from his head by now, driven away by the cold pain of feeling betrayed, hurt, broken inside. The coldness slowly spread from his core through his entire body, up to the bottom of his pontoons. He felt like he was frozen in place, moving seemed impossible. He didn’t even notice that he was shaking.

“Dottie, I think he’s in shock.”

“I can see that Skipper. Sparky, get a blanket, quick!”

The voices around him slowly melted into a blur, his vision began swimming and a single tear slowly ran down Dusty’s cheek. Freezing cold.

Later, Dusty wasn’t able to tell how long he had stood there, frozen in place, covered with a blanket and a knot of concerned people gathering around him. All he knew was that they had all read the article. Everyone had. The rest of the day went by in a blur, no one was really in the condition to do anything, least of all him. Dusty was only thankful when finally the sun began to set, marking the end of a dreadful day, a day that he wanted to forget forever. _I will never… They won’t let me._ To make it all worse, he had a race coming up the next day. He wasn’t ready to face anyone out there, let alone his friends, friends that mattered a lot to him, friends that he was going to lose now. _They’ve all read the article._ Still, he couldn’t stay home, not now. _If I stay away now, it’ll be an admittance of guilt._ He couldn’t risk that. If he did, it would all be over. _I haven’t done anything wrong. They’re the ones in the wrong, I’m am the one being wronged!_ But no matter how often he murmured those words, repeated them in his head like a mantra, it was no good. He dreaded the day to come.

During the night he hadn’t slept much and when he had, nightmares had plagued him, taking over his dreams and causing him to forcibly keep himself awake. He couldn’t remember when he had last spent the night crying, afraid to go to sleep and wanting nothing more than someone to come and hold him. _Blade… I wish you were here right now. I could use some reassurance. Scratch that, I_ need _your reassurance!_ But radioing Blade in the middle of the night, especially over something as trivial as a dumb hate article in some stupid newspaper was out of the question. _It doesn’t feel trivial though…_ Either way, it didn’t change the fact that radioing the helicopter now would only get Dusty his anger. _I’ll have to face enough of that tomorrow as it is…_

The night stretched on forever and a part of Dusty never wanted it to end. He knew what was going to happen at the race. It would be just like when he had first started, only three times as painful because this time he knew them and this time he knew for certain that they were wrong. The worst part about it was that he knew that they wouldn’t believe him, no matter what he said. That inevitable rejection was what scared him the most.

Dawn came, and with it came a strange sort of determination, born of pain and hurt. _I have proven myself to them once, I will do it again. I don’t care how long it takes, you’ll see that I didn’t lie. I’ll prove it to you. I’ll prove what I can really do!_ He clung to that thought, and slowly it began to spread. A bitter laugh escaped him at the familiar feeling in his tanks, a mix of excitement, determination and anxiousness. The last time he had ever felt like this was when they had first brought him out on the runway for WATG. He had forgotten how much strength it gave him. _Time to show them what I’ve got._ It was really all he could do.

The flight to the race was quiet, which in itself was disturbing, but neither he nor Skipper knew what to say in their current situation so they flew in silence. Ironically it was exactly that which made their flight seem a lot shorter than it usually did. Both of them had enough on their minds for a lifetime and with their thoughts being occupied time just flew by. All too soon Dusty could make out the grandstands in the distance and the dreadful feeling began rising again, filling his tanks in a matter of seconds. _No! You can do this. Just stay calm, let them vent, race off your frustration and then talk it out._ It wasn’t the best plan, he knew that, but it was by far the best that he had been able to come up with during his sleepless night. The grandstands came nearer. By the time they were close enough to hear the excited cheers and laughter of the fans, Dusty had pep-talked himself long enough to see his plan through. The familiar feeling of being at a race settling in was also a great deal of help. _This is routine. I can do this._ They landed together with a few fans that happened to arrive just with them, so they stayed unnoticed for the moment. _I didn’t think I would get the chance to land unnoticed by anybody. Then again, having read the article, they probably expect some sort of heroic great entrance that I make to ‘look even better’._ He snarled at the thought and quickly turned around to follow Skipper. He wouldn’t go unnoticed for long, and when he _was_ noticed, he’d rather it be with his fellow racers, though their words would hurt a great deal more than those of his fans.

By some miracle, they made it over to the coaching zone without being spoken to, and even got to their tent without being drowned in hateful words. That’s where their luck ran out. Crowded around his tend stood Bulldog, Ishani, El Chupacabra, Rochelle and even Little King, who Dusty hadn’t seen since WATG, all glaring at him in so many different ways that only had two things in common: Disappointment. Anger. _I should have known they’d wait for me._ He really should have, it was to be expected. Still, the silent stares hurt more than any words could ever have. At last, Bulldog spoke up, his eyes piercing and his voice cold as ice.

“I thought you were better than that, lad.”

Ishani followed, just as cold.

“So it was all a lie? Everything you ever did a deception to get a good image? Well, you can wing it on right over there to Ripslinger. I’m sure you two have tons to talk about.”

That was a low blow, one that Dusty hadn’t expected, least of all from Ishani, who he had thought would at least listen to his side of the story.  _It’s pointless… I could present them the truth on a silver platter and they still wouldn’t believe me._ He had known this would happen, but still, it hurt to see that they would just readily believe any rumors spread about him without questioning them.

“Did you, or did you not get a certificate of achievement?”

El Chupacabra wasn’t as cold as Ishani and Bulldog. The fact that instead he was wary and calculating wasn’t any better though.

“I did-“

He didn’t let Dusty finish, the look on his face turning hard as stone.

“Then we have nothing more to talk about. Let’s go guys…”

The ‘You are not worthy of a capeswish’ was heavily implied in the way he said it and the gracefully turned around. Coming from El Chupacabra, it was the greatest insult he could have given. One after the other, all of the others followed suit, the disappointment showing in their eyes significantly outweighing the anger until Dusty stood there alone, once more frozen in shock. _Knowing that you are going to lose your friends beforehand doesn’t make losing them any easier._ A choked laugh escaped from his throat at the irony of the situation.

“To think that me telling the truth is what drove them away for good…”

His voice was trembling and his eyes stung suspiciously. _At least it’s over now…_ That was about as comforting as sitting on a cactus. Still trembling Dusty turned towards his tent as gracefully as he could and rolled inside. Skipper, who Dusty had momentarily forgotten was still there, followed suit and the moment that the tent closed behind them he pulled Dusty into a tight hug. His wings were curling around him in a way that Dusty had always wondered how it was possible but was all the more grateful for now. In this moment of pure abandonment, it felt good to have Skipper by his side. The slow wingrups and quiet nuzzling were a much needed familiarity and Dusty found himself slowly relaxing again.

“You okay?”

It was a rhetorical question, they both knew that he wasn’t and wouldn’t be until this mess was solved. But taking the situation as it was, there was nothing that could have possibly made him feel better than Skipper’s bearhug at the moment. Nodding as an answer, Dusty snuggled closer to the warmth, drinking in the comfort that he needed so very much right now and pretending for a little while that everything would sort itself out.

“Ready to face the world out there?”

It was their standard procedure before every race and Dusty had never been so grateful for their little ritual. Snuggling close one last time before slowly pulling away, he managed a shaky smile that Skipper instantly returned. It was times like this that Dusty was glad that Chug had forced him to knock on Skipper’s door back then. _Chrysler knows where I’d be without him._ Taking in one last deep breath Dusty turned towards the entrance of their tent.

“Ready to show them what I’ve got.”


	6. I'm a firefighter!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the longest chapter so far! I'm quite proud of this one! I hope that I managed to describe things in a way that makes sense to you and that you can picture in your head. If not, feel free to ask me and I'll try to explain it a little better. 
> 
> Hope you all had a great christmas. Enjoy, as their adventure continues :)

Rolling onto the runway was one of the hardest things that he had ever done and he had done a lot in his life. He didn’t know what hurt the most: The barracking from all the fans, the signs that said things like ‘Go home, briber’ or ‘Image freak’, the firefighters looking down on him with cold expressions or the introduction that he was given by the presenter.

“And in the last spot we have Number 7, Dusty Crophopper, who we recently found out doesn’t care about anything but himself and was ruthless enough to bribe our honored rescue forces to look good. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think he should be allowed to compete at all.”

Angry cheers followed that statement and what was even worse was that no one objected. _Make it stop…_ Hadn’t it been for the security cars keeping an eye on the crowd, Dusty would have been hit not only with foul vegetables but with bricks and stones by the looks of it. In the end, it didn’t matter which hurt the most or that all of them together felt like being stabbed in his core from behind with the knife twisted around a few times. He couldn’t change it, had to accept it. It was not the time to start a fight. _Focus!_ The countdown to the start of the race had begun. It was a tradition this particular host had and while it was different from the usual start, no one had ever bothered to change it.

10… 9… 8…

He felt the familiar concentration settle deep within him, calming his racing core and spreading throughout his body.

7… 6… 5… 4…

_I can do this. This is what I live for._

3… 2… 1…

“Show them what you’ve got Dusty!”

Skipper’s words were all he needed. The hurt was gone, banned to a faraway corner of his mind as all his thoughts settled on the race.

GO!

He sped off like he never had before. All the bottled up emotions served nicely as a power boost and the ever-present need to prove himself once more was enough to urge him on. _I can do this. I can win. I can show them who I am!_ Faster and faster he went, way into the redline and for the first time since Piston Peak, he didn’t hesitate to push further, up to his limits and beyond. He wanted to win. The first two out of 21 other racers he had already passed, and he was gaining on the next five very fast. In his head he automatically went over the racecourse, making sure that he knew it by core and would automatically fly the right way. It was a short distance race, though short was usually defined in comparison to Wings Around The Globe, so it wasn’t that short of a distance that they had to cover. It was about thirty-seven kilometers going over a small forest and past a small river, but otherwise lacking anything that would help him find his way if he lost it. He passed the five planes with a long radial G and went after the next three, always keeping an eye on his navigation system.

By the time he had passed the next three in front of him, and the two that came soon after that, they were nearing the small forest. It was still in the distance, too far away to really see anything, but the moment he laid his eyes on it, Dusty knew. After all, he had spent the last month thinking about little else, the telltale signs deeply ingrained in his memory. _Wildfire!_ There wasn’t too much smoke, which meant that the fire wasn’t all that big yet, but it was growing by the minute which was alarming. Without thinking Dusty fell into the routine he knew he had to undergo in this case. _Radio for backup, wait for it to arrive. Simple enough._

“This is Crophopper 7 to the firefighters on site, do you read me?”

The line stayed silent.

“Firefighters on site, do you read me?”

The line stayed silent. Beginning to think that they simply weren’t answering because it was him that was radioing he looked around to get someone else to alert them for him, only to see that in his thinking he had once more fallen behind. Far enough to be out of hearing range.

“Damn it!”

_Isn’t there a protocol for rescue forces to always answer the radio, even if it’s supposedly a false alarm!?_

He was quite sure that there was, but it was of no use to him now. He had Dottie take his pontoons off for the race in the hopes of lessening the number of insults if he didn’t look like a firefighter. Now he was cursing his damned cowardness. If he had had his pontoons, he could have simply gone and taken care of the spotfire himself.  But as it was, there was nothing he could do except finish the race as fast as he could and tell the firefighters on site in person. He just prayed that they would believe him. The forest patch was close now, and the volume of the smoke had doubled in the time it had taken him to get there. Out of habit he automatically began to mentally note the conditions. _Weather-Sunny with little to no wind. Humidity-low. Temperature-moderate. Rate of spread-not quite rapid but above moderate._ He had just turned around since the start of the race was closer than its end, when he saw it. A gleam of silver-blue metal in the midst of the flames and the faintest whimpering of terror. Spinning around in one of the sharpest curves he ever turned, he went back over the flames, eyes scanning the ground and sure enough, there was a young helicopter of a small built on the ground, desperately trying to escape the flames. The sight made Dusty’s fluids run cold and he instantly went into full rescue mode, circling over the flames as close as he could without getting caught in them.

“Sir! I know it is hard to do in a situation like this, but I need you to stay calm. Under no circumstances start your rotors or try to fly away! Help is on its way, we will clear you a passage to come through. You will be alright, just remain calm and don’t move unless it is absolutely necessary!”

The helicopter stared up at him, the terror in his eyes visible even through the thick smoke and Dusty couldn’t help but be reminded of Blade at that moment. _The mine…_

“We’ll have you out in a sec!”

This time they just had to answer. A life was on the line.

“Firefighters on site, this is Crophopper 7. I report a wildfire in the small forest east of the river about sixteen kilometers along the racecourse. There is a civilian trapped inside. I request backup.”

The line crackled, and for a second Dusty thought that he heard whoever was answering mutter something along the lines of ‘Yeah right, oh great Samaritan.’ Then the line fell silent. Dusty felt his despair rise, every second he wasted was a second that the young helicopter didn’t have.

“I am not kidding! Answer the chryslerdamn radio, a life is on the line!!!”

Silence.

With a frustrated scream, Dusty gave up radioing for backup and quickly went through his remaining options. _Going back will take too long, he’ll be dead by the time they get here. That only leaves one option._

_‘_ _Never, under any condition, fight a fire on your own.’_

_I’m sorry Blade, I don’t have much of a choice._

Decision made, Dusty went for the river, flying faster then he could remember ever flying before. He was on his own. The life of that helicopter lay on his wings and it was up to him whether or not he could save it. He was wrecking his head for a way to help without his pontoons and the closer he got to the river without an idea the more painc rose in him. _I’m not going to make it!_ His core was racing and in his desperation he went through every single strategy he ever learned. _It’s no use, no one would ever even think of a scenario like this, let alone include it in any sort of training! Well, Chug would but-_ His engine nearly stopped at the realization. He’d had the solution the entire time! ‘ _You’re in the middle of nowhere with no backup insight and a group of trees that are burning with a civilian trapped inside but you don’t have your pontoons! What do you do?’_

“I open one of my tiptanks, release the fuel over dry ground at a safe distance from the flames and then I use my tiptank to scoop!”

It was crazy and impossible and had Blade been here he would rather have tied Dusty to a burning tree than let him attempt something so utterly reckless but as it was, it was the only chance he had. Opening his left tiptank he turned into a long radial G to release the fuel. It fell to the ground, staining the earth, but Dusty couldn’t care less at that moment. _Let those idiot onsites clean it up!_ A few meters from the river his tank was finally empty and without much thinking Dusty finished his radial G and he turned to the left, holding his tiptank underwater while flying against the current for about a minute. Then he did a quick barrel roll and with the opening of his left wing in the air so that the water wouldn’t fall out he hurried back to the forest. One tiptank had about the volume of half a pontoon, so he had to make what little he had count. Belatedly he realized that he wouldn’t be able to clear a passage for the helicopter to safely get him out at this rate. _Think Dusty, think!_ The forest was getting nearer and he couldn’t think of anything. _What would Blade do?_ Shaking his head Dusty released a desperate chuckle. _He’d just hoist the poor guy out of the danger zone._ Reaching the forest Dusty saw that to his horror the flames had closed in around the helicopter, melting his sides, much like Blade’s back at the mine. The terrified screams were only interrupted by his broken sobs and his hoarse voice reaching out.

“Please, are you still there? Please answer me, help me! I’M BURNING!”

Without thinking Dusty turned into another radial G, releasing his water on the helicopter, cooling him down for a short time and clearing the area around him. Before he could really comprehend what he was doing, he found himself shouting instructions at the poor guy. He had made up his mind.

“Lay on your back and put your skids in the air! I will come down and get you! When I do please hold absolutely still, I won’t be able to navigate well with you hanging on one of my wings. Don’t worry! I’ll get you out, I promise!”

It was insane. Absolutely crazy and he knew that the chances of him crashing were up to 90%. Still, he had to risk it. Making sure that the helicopter had done as he told him Dusty made a wide turn, bringing enough distance between him and the flames to be able to slowly descend. Then he flew straight at the fire, getting lower with each meter that he closed the distance. _I can do this!_ His core was racing and his wings were trembling as he sped towards the raging flames, the ground only meters under him. _I have to do this!_ He broke through the wall of flames and the initial contact almost felt like he was being caressed by a cool cloth. Then the moment passed and he felt searing white pain racing through him. It hurt like hell, but he kept going. Breaking through the flames again he was now only one and a half meters above the ground, wings perfectly lined up with the space between the helicopter’s skids and his upper body. He only had this one chance, with only one remaining tiptank his fuel levels were too low to attempt this a second time. Taking a deep breath he flew towards the helicopter, slowing down ever so slightly and then, with the tip of his wing only half a meter away from the skids he flew a sharp curve to the left, aiming his right wing and sliding it through the space between skids and body. The moment he felt that he was through he started going into a radial G with all his power. The weight on his right wing was too much for him to actually turn over, but this way he was able to keep his right wing up in the air and by pure forces of gravity keep the helicopter on it. Now he just had to get out of the flames and far enough away from them to put the helicopter down again in relative safety. No one had trained him for this and his training had already been full of things that weren’t supposed to be part of it in the first place. He flew back towards the flames, now two meters above the ground, but unable to climb higher.

“Brace yourself!”

The warning was more to prepare himself for the incoming pain than warn the helicopter, but Dusty could see him tightly shutting his eyes out of the corner of his eyes. They both knew what was coming. _I will do this!_ One last deep breath and they broke through the wall of fire. _I’m a firefighter!_ The flames were licking at them like hungry little kittens, leaving burns and pain in their wake. Dusty did his best to hold back a scream of pain. He was beginning to understand how Blade must have felt in the mine. _Just a bit further…_ Grinding his teeth he put all the strength he had left into holding his right wing upright. His power levels were dropping fast. If they didn’t get out and to a safe distance soon, he would crash. _Fear is the greatest whip of all._ _It drives you to do things you normally never could._ He pushed on, ignored the pain, ignored the strain and the painc slowly taking over him. He paid it no mind when his left wing suddenly caught fire from a few drops of fuel that had still been on it. The pain hardly made any difference. _Keep going!_ It felt like hours before they finally broke free.

1 meter.

Out into the fresh clean air, away from the heat, away from the smoke.

5 meters.

The pain stayed, but that hardly mattered anymore.

15 meters.

Dusty’s left wing was beginning to drip hydraulic fluid and he could feel his steering slowly getting worse.

30 meters.

Keeping himself in the position he was in put a strain on his systems that not even a warplane was supposed to handle.

50 meters.

It was a miracle he hadn’t crashed. Finally, he found that the distance between them and the flames was big enough to be called safe. Sighing with relief he gathered his last reserves, descended until he was half a meter above ground and then went into a barrel roll to the right so that the helicopter slipped off his wing and landed more or less on his skids in the soft grass. It was in that moment that his steering went out completely for a few seconds and now, that the rescuer in him was satisfied, he realized just how much trouble he himself was in. After two painful seconds of staying in the air without steering, still too close to the ground and his left wing in flames, the steering came back. It was limited, but there again and Dusty rushed for the river, as fast as he dared with his fuel levels nearing critical. It was the pure will to survive that kept him going. An earlier version of himself, one that hadn’t gone through the things he had at Piston Peak would have given up now. _I can’t give up…_ His vision was slowly fading out and he found himself hearing things that couldn’t possibly be there.

_“…Champ…”_

_“…I know the feeling…”_

_“…Life doesn’t always go the way you expect it…”_

_“…None of my trainees have died so far and you better not be the first…"_

_“…If you give up today, think of all the lives you won’t save tomorrow…”_

_“…Dusty…”_

_“REDLINE!”_

And in his haze he did just that. His vision cleared a bit at the sudden power surge and he could see the river right in front of him. With a cry of relief he turned again, dipping his left wing in the water and at that moment Dusty swore that he had never felt anything so wonderful in his entire life. The water put out the fire that was eating through his left wing within seconds and the cold water felt like the best salve to his wounds he could imagine. He stayed in it for two whole minutes, flying upstream before one of his alarms went off.

FUEL LEVEL CRITICAL

He was rapidly burning through the last fuel reserves he had. Dusty grid his teeth again and climbed up enough to get out of the water, barely making it to the shore. As soon as he was above dry land, he turned off his engine and glid towards the ground. His landing on the grass was softer than he expected, not at all like his previous crashes. For a moment he wondered if he had crashed at all. Then he came to a halt on the grass, barely able to keep his eyes open. He didn’t give in to his exhaustion until he was sure that he was safely on the ground, far enough away from any danger that might lurk out there. Only when he was absolutely sure that he wasn’t going to die he let himself collapse. His eyes fluttered shut, he felt his cables going lax and all in all it felt more like falling asleep than anything else. The last thing he heard before sinking into the blissful darkness was a comforting, proud voice whispering from somewhere in the back of his mind.

_“Good move partner.”_

                          


The first thing he heard was sirens. Loud, obnoxious, headache causing sirens that could only belong to the rescue force. The first thing he thought was: _Finally decided to grace us with your presence then…_ His sensors were slowly coming back online. He was still lying on grass, so he likely hadn’t been moved from the spot he had crashed into. The air was still warm so it couldn’t be later than afternoon. Slowly opening his eyes he groaned at the sudden brightness, blinking a few times until he got used to it. The sun was still standing high, not far from the point it had been when he crashed. It couldn’t have been more than an hour. Then next thing he felt was a gush of wind rushing over his head and he looked up just in time to see a heavy lifter, not unlike Windlifter carrying off the little silver-blue helicopter. _Thank Chrysler, he’s safe. We both are._ The sirens around him had stopped, apparently a little forklift had noticed him being awake and shushed them all. Their lights were still on, but it wasn’t quite as disturbing as the sound so Dusty ignored it.

“How do you feel?”

The forklift gave him a critical lookover, seemingly assessing his wounds. _A mechanic then._ Smiling, he actually had to think about that question. He wasn’t in too much pain, his left wing still hurt, but not as bad as he would have thought and the rest of his body was more itchy than in pain. The mechanic had apparently read his thoughts from his face because he didn’t wait for Dusty to actually answer and just continued on.

“Already healing I see. Well, you’ve been through quite a lot, it’s a miracle that you only have the injuries that you have. Then again, it’s you we’re talking about so I shouldn’t be surprised.”

At that, a chuckle went through the firetrucks standing around them. That last statement puzzled him, he couldn’t quite understand what the forklift mechanic meant.

“What do you mean? As far as I know, this is the first time that we met.”

The chuckle turned into laughter and the forklift joined in, giving him a friendly sidebump.

“Only a month into the job and already you’re infamous. And you don’t even know it! Why didn’t you tell us that you were the Crashrookie?”

_Crashrookie?_

“Aw, look at him, he doesn’t even know his nickname. Well Dusty Crophopper, you are the first trainee that Blade Ranger, who is quite infamous himself, has taken on in a loooong time. That alone would be reason enough, but YOU managed to get certified in two weeks, were a big help in putting out the biggest forest fires of Piston Peak with a damaged gearbox and you risked your life in the line of duty when you weren’t even certified yet. You crashed 2 times while being a trainee, and you did more as a rookie than some of us did in thirty years of service. Hence the name Crashrookie. I don’t think that there’s any firefighter in these parts of the world that hasn’t heard of you.”

At that, a nervous chuckle went through the rows. Apparently his face displayed every single thought in his head for everyone of them to read. _If you all knew, then why in Chryslers name didn’t you answer the radio!?_ This time it was one of the firetrucks that gave him an answer. The mechanic had taken to wrapping his wing in temporary thin metal to cover the wounds and stop any more fluids from escaping until he could be transported to a garage.

“Well, about the way we acted…”

The firetruck speaking up wore a rueful expression on his face while at the same time trying to give Dusty an apologetic smile. The combination looked more like a grimace than anything else.

“You see Dusty, when we read that article we didn’t pay that much attention to the numbers. The two weeks should have been a giveaway, but somehow we all missed that. All we read was that there was someone impersonating us for his own good.”

Another firetruck continued on, visibly encouraged by the fact that Dusty hadn’t tried to jump them yet. _As if I could, currently being treated and all…_ Still, he wanted to hear their explanation. _It better be a damn good one._

“Well, our team has had some bad experiences with copycats and the likes of them before, so we just got really angry. We didn’t even give it a second thought and for that I am terribly sorry. Really, believe me, we all are. We shouldn’t have judged what we had no knowledge of our own of.”

“Anyway…”

A third firetruck continued, seemingly anxious to get on with the explaining which Dusty only welcomed.

“When you radioed on the horn we all thought that you were crying wolf, wanting attention, acknowledgment as a firefighter, something like that. Not answering was already a breach of the rules, but when you radioed for backup and said that a life was on the line, even if suspecting that you were just crying wolf, we would have had to answer and send help immediately. Not doing so was against the firefighting code and also against the law. I don’t know what we were thinking. If we had just done what we were supposed to, you wouldn’t have had to risk your life. It was entirely unnecessary and entirely our fault.”

“The helicopter you rescued was part of the camera crew. He had cameras fixed on his body that were filming the whole thing, sending it live. At first, the producers didn’t see it because there weren’t supposed to be any more racers in his sector. Then they noticed that you were missing and they went through all the cameras, probably to mock you, until they found the one in the fire. Everything that happened from then on was seen on every screen. The fans, the racers, the people at home watching on their TVs, us, we all saw what you did.”

“At first, the presenter tried to make it look like you were recklessly risking your life to prove your point, image purposes again, but when we saw you coming through the flames the way you did, we just knew that you couldn’t be an imposter. To do what you did it takes a special kind of plane and training.”

Another firetruck piped up chuckling, still apologetically but clearly amused.

“He wouldn’t shut up, so I shot him with my hose and told him to weld it shut. I think they started to understand what mistake they had made after that.”

Despite his current situation Dusty had to chuckle at the mental image of the presenter falling off his stand, dripping wet and a look of mortification on his face.

“The moment we saw what was happening we wanted to come and help, but we didn’t know your location and finding you via our heavy lifter took a while. When we did, we found you like this, only light injuries apart from your wing and well I guess that was one telltale sign too much Crashrookie. I really am sorry for the way we behaved towards you and for violating the code. I know that a simple sorry can’t make it undone and be assured that we will face the consequences for our doing. You deserve that much.”

With that, they ended their explanation and a strange silence befell them. The firetrucks didn’t dare speak, the mechanic was busy with finishing his transportation preparations and Dusty had to take everything that he just heard in and digest it. _That… is not what I had expected._ It was the sound of an engine in the distance that finally broke the silence, the heavy lifter was coming back to get him.

“Well, you’re good to go. I’ll see you in the garage Crashrookie. It’s an honor to repair you.”

It was said with a slightly teasing tone and Dusty couldn’t help but laugh. It felt like that one sentence had lifted a weight off his core that he hadn’t thought he’d ever get rid of again. The forklift smiled back at him before taking the harness and fastening the straps around him.

“I know that you’re not the one actually doing the flying but be safe.”

With that, he winked at him and the heavy lifter took off towards the start of the race where the mechanic’s garage seemed to be situated. Dusty was still chuckling, couldn’t and didn’t want to stop. The relief washing through him and filling him up to the brim felt way too wonderful for that.

_All in all, this could have gone a lot worse, right?_

                           


The repairs had taken the rest of the afternoon and a good bit of the evening, but compared to his previous crashes it was over in a blink. His friends had stopped by one by one, apologizing over and over again until the mechanic ushered them out saying that Dusty needed rest, which he did. Skipper had been allowed to stay by his side the whole time and after the initial worry had been soothed away, he had been a great conversation partner to pass the time until he could leave. Now he was in his room and about to lay down on his sleepingmat. He was exhausted, the fact that he hadn’t slept much the night before and the events of the day had taken its toll and he felt like falling asleep right then. He had just gotten comfortable on his sleepingmat, eyes closed and beginning to drift off when suddenly the horn in the corner of his room crackled to life. Stifling a yawn mixed with a curse Dusty pushed himself back up again and tiredly made his way over to the horn.

“Crophopper?”

He had neither the energy to sound like his usual cheery self, nor did he feel particularly inclined to be friendly to the person that was keeping him from his well-deserved sleep.

“Dusty!”

Within a second he was wide awake. He’d know that voice anywhere, even if he hadn’t quite heard it in this tone before. It sounded broken, worried, angry, happy, hoarse, like he had been crying or screaming, maybe both. A mix of all of them that didn’t sound healthy in the least.

“Blade?”

He didn’t even try to hide his concern. This tone was so unlike Blade, the strong helicopter that risked his life without thinking twice to save others. For a few seconds, it stayed silent and Dusty could feel the tension building between them.

“Are you okay?”

He really was worried. It wasn’t like Blade to stay silent like this. He wasn’t one to constantly chat like Dipper, but he always found the right thing to say when it mattered. He could hear a hitched breath through the horn, followed by an angry sneer. _Blade?_

“Am I okay?! You just got yourself _this_ close to dying and you ask if I'm okay?!”

For a moment Dusty felt like having a dejavu, but Blade didn’t give him time to dwell on it because whatever it was that had bottled up inside him during his silence was now bursting out in all directions through a wave of angry shouting.

“Just what do you think you were doing out there? Do you have any idea how worried I was?! What is the first rule that I taught you? The most important rule? NEVER ACT ON YOUR OWN!!! Chrysler damn it Dusty, you weren’t even equipped to fight a fire and that stunt you pulled was uncalled for and nothing but reckless. You Chryslerdamn idiot! Yeah, we all read the article, but since when do you need to prove yourself!?”

Dusty wanted to answer that his stunt had been called for, that he hadn’t had a choice, that he most certainly hadn’t done it to prove anything, but Blade didn’t let him and raged on.

“You flew through flames with your tiptanks on, it’s a miracle you didn’t explode. It’s technically impossible that you are still alive at all after all this!”

His voice had become desperate at the end and the defensive streak and bit of anger that Dusty had built up during that little speech was gone within a moment.

“Blade…”

He tried his best to sound calm, reassuring. He was beginning to see where this was coming from.

“I’m not dead Blade. I am alive. Even after all this, I’m still here.”

On the other side a choked sob could be heard, and at that moment Dusty wanted nothing more than to crawl through the connection and be able to hug Blade close, as much to comfort him as to be comforted. He could feel his own eyes sting.

“I almost lost you just now Dusty… After the mine and the waterfall, I never thought I’d have to see you crash again, not like this. I know the pain from being burned, I’ll never forget it. And what happened to you, your wing in flames and your fluids dripping and the alarms, it just… It was Nick all over again! I saw you, saw everything that happened up close and yet I couldn’t do anything about it. You almost died and I wasn’t even there! I almost lost you and I wasn’t there to help!”

_Blade!_ He had expected something about Blade losing him, but being compared to Nick… _Blade’s lover. ‘It was Nick all over again!’_ His core was beating faster and despite the seriousness of the situation an unbidden smile showed on his face. _Nick all over again._ He didn’t want it to, but that little phrase gave him hope, a hope that he never thought he would get. The short burst of happiness didn’t last long though as Blade began talking again, now sounding utterly broken.

“I can’t lose you too Dusty, don’t you understand that?”

He sounded almost pleading. It nearly broke Dusty’s core to hear his love so broken, hurt, scared, defeated. He acted without thinking.

“Blade, listen to me. I promise to you that I will never hurt you the way Nick did. Do you copy Blade? I’ll never hurt you like him. Never, I swear!”

Silence…

_Damn it._ Not even hitched breathing, or any kind of breathing at that, could be heard. It was like Blade was holding his breath and Dusty was beginning to feel like he had just made a horrible mistake. _Me and my talking without thinking! Sure, I meant every word I said but I could have told him that differently! He’s emotionally hurt as it is, I had to go and make it worse. I’m such an idiot!_ The silence stretched on and with every second that passed Dusty was feeling more terrible than before. He wanted to apologize, make it up to Blade, somehow save the situation, but no words would leave his lips. _I’m sorry Blade, I didn’t mean to hurt you. Please, I’m so sorry._ Two minutes passed and while the breathing had come back at some point, the line remained silent. _Please don’t be mad…_ He felt like an icy cold grip was clenching around his core, draining it of all feeling and he felt the sting in his eyes grow worse. _Say something…_

“Blade?”

The connection was terminated.


	7. Damn it!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's the next one! Hope my little cliffhanger wasn't too mean there ;)
> 
> ******* indicates a (kind of) flashback (It's more like Blade thinking back on the events than an actual flashback).
> 
> Also, regarding Blade’s behavior, don't judge him too quickly. There’s an explanation at the end of the chapter (which you can skip if you have a better one, it's just to prevent any major misunderstandings. Though most of you will know the reason anyway :) ) 
> 
> Hope you all like Blade's side of things. Enjoy :)

_Damn it!_

Blade didn’t know how often he had muttered that curse during the last ten hours.

_Damn it!!!_

It hurt. He still wasn’t quite able to grasp what had happened, the events replaying in his head over and over again. It had all happened so fast. He felt terrible.

******************************

_It was a day like any other. The sun decided to come out again for the first time in a few days and it was pleasantly warm for the season._ This day is going to be a good one. _It was a nice thought and Blade was glad to slowly have regained a bit of his old optimism. It really made living a lot easier. He had gradually gotten used to not having Dusty around anymore and was starting to finally settle back into his old routine. The fact that they were talking on the horn whenever they could was definitely helping._ Life is good right now. And for once I hope it’ll stay that way. _And it did stay that way, up to the moment when he layed eyes on the daily newspaper that had just been delivered. The headlines made his tanks churn and his fluids run cold. At first, he thought, desperately hoped, that the Jumpers had decided to play yet another prank on him, one that was decidedly not funny, but his hopes were shattered when his Jumpcrew was just as devastated as he was, not to mention Dipper having a mix of a nervous breakdown and a sudden urge to murder someone. For once Blade completely understood her reasons, he was close to ramming his nose in the hangar door, just for the satisfaction of denting something._ Argh, I have to do something that actually helps him. Violence is not a solution, it’ll make everything worse! _The first thing he thought of was radioing Dusty and make sure that he was okay but when he tried reaching him he couldn’t get through. After that, he tried to reason with the newspaper and explain to them that they were wrong, but he fell on deaf audios with that. The rest of the team couldn’t think of anything else to do either, so the day went by with the problem unsolved and laying heavily on his core._ Damn it!

******************************

_How was I supposed to know you were going to do something so utterly stupid? That I’d be this close to losing you again? Damn it Champ!_

‘I will never hurt you the way Nick did.’

_I still can’t believe you said that! ‘Like Nick did’… As if he did it on purpose! As if you have any control over whether or not you die!_ He hated himself for clinging to the words, a promise that couldn’t possibly be given, clutching at them like they were the last straw, which in a way they were. _You promised me Champ. Don’t you dare break it. I’ll hold you to it forever, so you better not die on me before the end of all eternity._

_Dusty…_

_Don’t you dare break my core like he did._

******************************

_They had all decided to watch the race together and at least support Dusty from afar. They still hadn’t been able to reach the plane and it was making Blade worry._ It’s not like you to shut yourself off like that, Champ. You know that I’m here for you so why are you pushing me away? _The fact that he wasn’t so much pushed away as being ignored did little to soothe the dull ache in his core and throughout the day he had been threatened by Maru more than once to receive a cold shower. It hadn’t mattered to him, he couldn’t have cared less. If anything a small part of him had hoped that Maru would actually do it and that by some miracle it would wash the pain away. He was so lost in his contemplations that he missed the presenter introducing the racers. Judging from the angry yells all around him and the concerned look that Windlifter gave him it was a good thing he had. Blade felt a wave of anger mixed with utter despair wash through him._ In a way, this is my fault. And now there’s nothing I can do to fix it! _The race started and Blade found himself praying that his Champ would win, if only to show them just how amazing he was and that those blasted rumors couldn’t be further away from the truth. When the cameras lost sight of him and the presenters started clicking through all of them to show just how far Dusty had fallen behind, all the while insulting the racer, Blade felt something inside him freeze._ Something’s wrong. _The exact second the thought entered his head the screen was suddenly filled with flames._ Wildfire! _Acting on instinct Blade found himself looking for the frequency of the onsites, only to freeze as a well-known flash of red and white suddenly appeared in the sky over the flames, dropping water out of his tiptanks._ Champ? _The plane was shouting something before flying out of sight and for the first time Blade realized that there had to be a civilian trapped._ What are you doing there all by yourself? Where are the onsites? _The onsites never came. Instead, Blade saw Dusty enter the flames, flying through the blazing heat, closer and closer to the heart of the fire. His metal was starting to bubble, his paint flaking and still he kept on going. A searing white pain shot through Blade’s side and he wanted to scream but no sound would leave his mouth. All he could do was watch, unable to do anything, memories of his own burns filling his mind. Dusty shot out of the flames, pushed his wing through the skids, barrel rolled and flew back._ Dusty! You won’t make it, your systems are strained as it is, you’ll crash! _His throat was dry and he felt like his core was being crushed by an icy claw. Dusty entered the flames, his expression contorting into one of pain and Blade knew all too well what it felt like._

_“No…”_

You idiot, don’t! _He watched in horror as the flames licked up the beautiful metal, leaving burns and grime in their wake, almost able to hear his SEAT, and then it happened. Dusty’s empty tiptank was leaking a last bit of fuel. There wasn’t an explosion, but the wing was in flames not even a second later and at that Blade could hear the scream._

_“Champ!”_

_He felt someone grab him, hold him down as he struggled to break free and fly to his Champs aid. aLL Rtional thought had left him, all that mattered was that Dusty was hurting and in danger. The wing was dripping fluids, vitally important fluids that Blade knew all to well from past experiences. The pain in his side, a memory of what had happened in the mine, intensified to the point it became blinding._ He’s going through that now. He won’t be able to handle it!

_“DUSTY!”_

He’ll crash! _He left the flames, barely above the ground and it seemed like it was all in slow motion as Dusty barrel rolled again, the helicopter falling off his wing and then once more disappearing out of sight, wing still in flames. Blade couldn’t breathe, panic was clogging his vents and he slowly felt himself going into a shutdown as tears streamed down his face._ Dusty…

_And then, out of nowhere he reappeared, plating black but not alight. The relief didn’t last as Blade saw what he had feared all along, had known would happen from his own experience: Dusty crashed. At that point, it didn’t do much more to Blade than wring a whimper of choked sobs out of him. He knew that pain like no other and it hurt three times as much to know that Dusty had to go through it, feel his plating melt and deform, bubble under the heat until there was nothing else you could think about. But what hurt the most was that there was nothing he could have done._

******************************

Blade shook his head, forcing the memories away. Reliving the events wasn’t going to change what had happened, or the things that happened afterward because of them. The memory of the radio was almost as painful as that of the mine. Only while the mine had brought them closer together, the radio had torn them apart.  Sighing Blade turned away from the cliff that he had been perched on ever since he ended the radio. He had hardly gotten any sleep, not to mention refueling but getting fuel meant facing Maru and that meant either a shower or facing the others. Blade just wanted to be alone, bury his head under a blanket and forget that any of this had ever happened. He knew that if he fell asleep he’d only relive the entire thing, possibly even worse than the original. Nightmares where his brain’s way of dealing with painful experiences. He knew that he couldn’t stay awake forever and that prolonging it would only make it worse, but he couldn’t help it. He was scared, hurt and corebroken. _And lonely…_ For the first time since Nick had died, he longed for his mother’s hugs. They were always so soothing, warm and welcoming. He felt safe there, like no harm could ever befall him and like there was a solution to every problem that existed. He felt the first tears gather in his eyes, slowly rolling down his cheeks and dripping onto the ground. It was unusually silent over the base and Blade suddenly felt like it was crushing him. His rotors started without his consent and he lifted off, vision blurry with tears as he let the wind carry him away in a desperate attempt to escape the pain.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRGGGHHHH!”

_Scream it all out. Make it stop. I don’t want to be alone again!_

His sobbing intensified, his vision useless with his tears clouding it and the pain in his core only grew. He didn’t know how long he drifted through the air like that, nor where he had gone. All he knew was that at some point, a harness gently slipped around him, forcing him to stop his rotors. Only then did he notice the alarms flashing him red lights and screaming at him to refuel and rest. He couldn’t remember the last time his energy levels had been critical, let alone close to nothing. A distant part of his mind registered the hum of Windlifters engine, drawing a broken sound from him as his body slowly gave way to his exhaustion.

The next time he woke up was in the garage. The lights were off, the blinds closed, making it impossible for Blade to make out whether it was day or night. His energy levels were normal again and Blade realized that Maru must have injected the fuel into him. He suddenly felt very foolish, being dumb enough to risk crashing. Out of emotional chaos of all things. _I’ll never hear the end of it, and rightfully so. How could I have been so stupid?_

“Excellent question, mind giving me an answer?”

Blade startled, slumping as he realized that it was Maru, only to tense again with the knowledge that he had been thinking out loud. _Damn it!_

“I don’t know, you tell me, you’re the mechanic.”

He was in no mood to be lectured right now, the pain still too fresh in his mind and his core, the wounds still open. Maru’s words would only aggravate them more.

“And as your mechanic, I am telling you to stop being such a careless reckless idiot. As your friend, I’m outraged that you bottled this up long enough to get suicidal!”

“It wasn’t on purpose, I just needed to get away from it all!”

There was only one thing that was worse than lecturing right now and that was seeing the disappointment and hurt in Maru’s eyes as he regarded him with a sad, almost pitying look.

“Blade look, I know this isn’t easy for you, but especially in situations like this you need to talk to me. We almost lost you just now, how do you think I feel? And you know what’s even worse? I have to act as your mechanic right now which means you’ll get mad at me for looking out for you.”

At that Maru sounded utterly broken, a rare flash of vulnerability flashing in the forklifts eyes and making Blade feel miserable for putting that pain in his best friend’s eyes. _I never meant to hurt you Maru. I’m an idiot, I know that, I just…_ He didn’t know what he had been thinking, and now he regretted it fiercely. Blade opened his mouth, wanting to apologize but a firm headshake of Maru silenced him, as the forklift’s hard expression that he wore as a mechanic snapped back into place.

“You are currently unfit to do your job out here Blade, you are a danger to the team and yourself if you can’t even notice your alarms going off. With the power given to me in my position as your mechanic, I hereby put you on medical leave to deal with your emotions out of the danger zone.”

Blade winced at the cold tone. It showed him just how hurt Maru was, clearer than any yelling ever could have. Maru let out a slow breath, his expression faltering before coming back with a determination that Blade had never seen on his friend’s face outside of an emergency before.

“You will go to Propwash Junction to set things straight. It is known for its quietness and is perfect for someone with a troubled mind.”

Without giving Blade any room to object Maru opened the door to the garage, the sudden brightness momentarily blinding Blade.

“That’s an order.”

His voice bore a finality that made any objections Blade might have had constrict in his throat, making it hard to breathe properly. A choked breath escaped him and only then did Blade realize that he was trembling. His friend turned around in an instant, pulling the helicopter into a hug and rubbing his sides with his lifts, his voice sounding strained, like he was about to cry.

“You leave me no choice Blade… You are reverting back to the way you were after Nick died. It’s different but the result is the same and as your friend and your mechanic I want to help you. You clearly aren’t going to do anything about this on your own and any of my attempts to break through to you went by unnoticed. I’m scared to see you like this Blade.”

At that, his voice broke and the embrace tightened as if the forklift was afraid that Blade would bolt.

“You of all people should know what it means to fear for someone, to worry about them. I know it doesn’t always seem like it, with all the teasing and bickering, but I care for you Blade.”

Blade’s trembling slowly ceased, replaced by silent tears running down his cheeks as he gave Maru a sad smile, knowing full well the pain that his friend was speaking of.

“I know Maru. I’m sorry for worrying you.”

_I really am._

Maru nodded, a small smile on his lips as he slowly nuzzled the helicopter’s nose. It felt comforting. _I’m just glad that you forgive me. Thank you Maru._ He kept it the thought to himself, not wanting to disturb the comforting silence that had settled between them. They remained like that for some time, taking comfort in each other until at some point Maru drew back, glancing at Blade hesitantly before speaking once more, his voice as gentle as it would be when speaking with a frightened child.

“Blade… How can you blame him for doing something you set such an excellent example for? When it comes to risking your life to save others you do not hesitate for even a second to risk your own. How can you fault him for doing the same?”

The words hit home, something inside Blade breaking at them because he was right. _I did set an excellent example for you. And all this time I hurt my team in the same way. What kind of chief am I?_

“Getting mad at him without a valid reason isn’t going to make him change his ways. He’ll just feel misunderstood and mistreated.”

_What kind of friend am I?_

The thought made Blade’s throat constrict. The last time he had thoughts like that was after Dusty had crashed. _When I thought I had lost you for good…_ He felt his eyes sting as it hit him that he might have lost his SEAT for real this time.

“If you’re scared for him and hurt by his actions you should tell him that and the reason why. Explicitly explained and in detail to get your point across and more importantly make him see the reason for you being mad at him. Otherwise you two will just get hurt and nothing will change.”

“It’s too late Maru. Things already changed.”

_And not for the better._

Blade’s emotions were raw, he had no control over them as a wave of pain, guilt, despair and sadness washed through him, taking every bit of strain and every bad memory as fuel to grow stronger and take control over his every action. He couldn’t hear what Maru said next, the things that had been said before already enough to fuel the sudden emotional whirlwind in his core and before he knew it he was in the air, fleeing from the overwhelming sensations, trying to find peace in the quiet that usually did wonders to his troubled mind. Now it seemed suffocating, Maru’s words echoing all the louder, mixed with the promise that now hurt all the more. _Look at me now, fleeing from something that is entirely my fault. Like this is going to change anything! Next time you’re going to do it the exact same way again Champ! And I can’t even blame you, I do it all the time! Dusty, why does it have to be so painful? Why is it that whenever I love it comes with so much hurt?_ At that thought another terrible, long repressed realization hit him and made him stumble, his rotors catching before continuing stutteringly. _I never had a chance in the first place… He has his coach, and then there’s Ishani. Everybody says they’re a couple, they might as well be. And even if not, he wouldn’t consider me twice. I’m another built, significantly older than him and not really what you’d call attractive. On top of that, I’m his chief and that’s all I’ll ever be. A friend if you squint. Or at least I was…_ That struck him, worse than any pain inflicted by fire ever could. _I messed up. I got too vulnerable with him, I got hurt and put the blame on him. That’s how it always is, I open up and get hurt sooner or later._ Only that this time it was entirely his fault. _I’m scared… Showing you my fears means being vulnerable. What if you think less of me, even more than you already do. You’ll think I am this overreacting overprotecting glitch that is trying to get in your way and patronize you. It’s what they thought at my first station, you haven’t known me that long, you’ll think the same. Me hanging up like that won’t have done any good either, especially without any real explanations. You’ll be mad. Damn it, you_ are _mad._

Blade’s core felt like being crushed beneath a rock and his breathing hitched as he began to grasp just how far the consequences reached, just how badly he had messed up. A cold fear bubbled up in his core, filling him to the brim as he tried finding a solution and kept turning up empty-handed. _I don’t want to lose you Champ… Not like this, not when I’m at fault and most certainly not if it could be resolved. If you give up today…_ He didn’t dare finish the thought, the notion of losing the plane for good too painful to bear. Maru’s words came back to him then. ‘Set things straight’. Oh, how he wanted to do that. _If only things were that easy, it’s not like I can just fly over there and make it all well again._ It was a sickening feeling, knowing that he had to do something but not knowing what could possibly remedy the situation. _‘Doctors orders’…_

He made his decision, knowing that if he stayed where he was he would lose him. _I’m not giving you up without a fight Dusty. You mean way too much to me for that._ He spun around abruptly, setting course for Propwash Junction and quickly radioing Maru to inform him that he was following his order. His friend had sounded quite relieved at that and made Blade promise to stay until the problem was solved and his emotional chaos not quite so chaotic anymore, the smile audible in his voice. Smiling as well, if a bit wrily, Blade let the wind carry him towards his destination, his core feeling a little bit lighter than it had before. On the way he kept encouraging himself, trying to come up with the right thing to say to the plane when he saw him again. There was so much to say, it almost seemed impossible to find the right words, words that would make his Champ forgive him and give him another chance. He still hadn’t come up with anything when he finally reached his destination, the sun long having gone down.

_I better not risk waking him up in case he’s asleep already. Or busy with someone…_

He flinched at the involuntary thought, mentally slapping himself and forcing his thoughts away from the dreadful topic. Instead, he turned to the little hotel not far from the runway, the Landing Zone. He booked a hangar for the night, not daring to hope he’d be allowed to stay longer, and quickly went to the sleeping mat. The moment that he hit the fabric his eyes fell shut, the exhaustion finally getting to him as he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that Blade is quite a mess in this and therefore seems a little (okay, quite a bit) out of character, but just keep in mind that he has been traumatized by Nick’s death and that Dusty’s actions were like a trigger to bring it all back to him, so it’s only natural that he acts a little out of it and irrational. Also, I don’t know if I let Maru mention it before but after Nick died Blade was suicidal for quite a long time, even after he came to Piston Peak. It’s how Maru and Blade became best friends, Maru refused to give up on him until Blade eventually caved and let Maru help him.
> 
> I hope I managed to write it so that it came out this way :)


	8. It's over, isn't it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that you know Blade's side of things, here's what Dusty is feeling.
> 
> I wish you all a Happy New year (belatedly). Enjoy :)

_Faster!_

Dusty shot through the trees, his wings way closer to the branches than it was safe. His paint was already scuffed, having green and brown stripes from hitting the greenery and being scratched all over. Dusty didn’t care.

_I need to be faster!_

It was the only thing that could bring him some relief: Hearing the wind rush by, feeling the air beneath him, flying away, fleeing from the darkness and pain that the ground held right now. It was foolish, he knew that, but it was the only way he could think of to drown out the onslaught of feelings. His propellers were aching and he couldn’t remember when he had last refueled or even gone to the ground for a rest. Resting only brought up memories and thoughts that he didn’t want to think of, violently forcing them back down every time they threatened to bubble up. _Why beat myself up over something I can’t change anyway? I messed up and now I have to live with the consequences._ Dusty flew another sharp curve, the branches slapping him in the face with the force of a whip. It left a relatively deep gash, drawing a few drops of hydraulic fluid that mixed with the tears running down his face from the pain. _I lost him…_ The one thing that he had often feared would happen, yet never had in the short time he had known the helicopter, had suddenly become a cruel reality. _I still don’t know what I did wrong… I did exactly what you taught me to do. I_ did _call for backup, I saved the camera copter, fought the fire as best as I could and I didn’t die. How can you fault me for doing my job?_ For a short while, before the radio, he had even thought that Blade would be proud of him. He _had_ done a good job, more than that. _I understand that you get scared of people dying. You’ve got a bad history with that. You lost Nick and seeing me crash for technically the third time scared you. I get that, I was scared to death when you crashed._ He still had to shiver at the memory of seeing the helicopter who he had thought unbreakable lying on the ground so obviously broken because of something he had done. _I guess I just thought that my promise would somehow change things, make up for me not being careful enough. I promised not to hurt you like that Blade, so why did you get so mad?_ A small part of him kept giving him answers to that question, but those were of a kind he didn’t want to hear.

‘Maybe he’s still very much in love with Nick and your little promise insulted him.’

‘He obviously doesn’t want you to put yourself on the same level as his former lover.’

‘Maybe he just grew tired of having to go through these things with you. You always end up hurting him anyway.’

_‘It was Nick all over again!’_

CRACK

His wing hit a branch hard enough to break it, resulting in it tearing through his paint and drawing a gasp of pain from him. His facial wound had stopped leaking fluids but now that he wasn’t so caught up in trying to run from his own emotions he felt the pain. It wasn’t much, nothing like the injuries he had gotten during the WATG or being Blade’s trainee, but he could still feel them, reminding him of the much greater pain that lay below the plating.

“Dusty! Just what do you think you’re doing? We were supposed to meet up for training an hour ago, where are you?”

Skipper sounded more worried than angry and Dusty suddenly realized just how much time had gone by. He had lost track of time completely, too absorbed in distracting himself to notice anything outside of his immediate surroundings.

“I’m at the trees Skipper. I’ve been trainig for a few hours now, wanted to get an early start.”

Not two minutes later Skipper appeared by his side, taking in his battered and scratched form but much to Dusty’s appreciation not commenting on it. He didn’t say anything, just motioned for Dusty to follow him and took off in the opposite direction of Propwash. Dusty had a distinct feeling where this was going but he didn’t dare say anything. Losing one person was enough, he didn’t dare upsetting Skipper right now. They flew in silence for a long time before Skipper finally spoke, startling Dusty who had begun thinking about Blade again.

“So what’s with the new training method? Since when does it do you any good to get hurt, let alone risking to crash should you get caught in a tree?”

He felt himself unconsciously trying to seem smaller. The fact that Skipper’s voice was absolutely calm didn’t help the matter in the slightest. _Like the calm before the storm…_ Skipper’s prying eyes never left him and Dusty felt his carefully crafted wall slowly cracking until he couldn’t handle it anymore. The words burst from his mouth like a waterfall and he found that once he had started he couldn’t stop.

“First, this whole article thing happens and almost everybody hates me, then I don’t get any backup and have to go in myself, doing the job I was trained to do and I crash. And then Blade radios and is understandably mad. I mean, he has a history with losing people and what happened to me must have hurt him and then he says that I’m Nick all over again and I promise him, without thinking, that I won’t ever hurt him like Nick did and then he just terminates the connection. And I tried radioing him back afterwards, but he doesn’t answer the horn and he sounded so mad and now I…”

_I lost him._

He felt Skipper’s gaze on him, could see the pity in it out of the corner of his eyes but he didn’t dare to look closer. Seeing Skipper pity him would only make it more real. _More real than a few branches and silence ever could._

“Now now, Dusty, don’t jump to conclusions.”

He could hear it in Skipper’s voice that the other was trying to comfort him, but still, it ignited a spark of hope within him. He hated himself for daring to hope.

“Maybe there was an emergency.”

_For more than 24 hours, with the forest still being replanted?_

“Or their horn broke.”

_And Maru couldn’t fix it? Or radio from the other one?_

“Or, if that Nick was Blade’s former lover, he just felt overwhelmed by the mix of you getting hurt and being reminded of him. It would only be logical for him to need some time.”

The worst part about the last explanation was that unlike the others it actually made sense. Oh and how he wanted to believe that this was the reason, but he couldn’t. The part of him that kept giving him other answers was too loud for that, those answers making just as much sense, if not more when you considered Blade’s personality and past. Dusty felt his eyes sting and quickly sped up, unconsciously trying to run again. Skipper matched his speed effortlessly.

“Dusty, you’ve been out here without fueling or resting for hours and at the risk of angering you, allow me to point out that you look terrible. As your coach, I can’t allow you to strain your body like that and as your friend, I am worried about you enough to ask you to go back home now. Please.”

Skipper really did sound worried and Dusty suddenly felt guilty for not having at least refueled. _Definitely not the smartest thing I ever did. Still, I needed the space._

“Fly home Dusty, take some rest and drink some oil. And then radio Blade and talk things out. You won’t get any peace of mind otherwise.”

Dusty nodded, not wanting to upset his friend any further than he already had. _He does have a point. I need to refuel and it wouldn’t hurt to get some rest. But getting on the horn with Blade? I don’t think I could handle another rejection right now._ Skipper was the first to turn around and Dusty simply followed him, too exhausted to really pay attention to the way anymore. He really had gone over his limit and now came to regret it. He automatically dove down when the runway came in sight, landing on instinct and retreating as soon as he came to a stop at the end of it. He knew the way to his hangar by core so he didn’t pay much attention to his surroundings as he rolled there. His mind was fixed on what Skipper had said.

_Should I really try to radio him again? What if he doesn’t answer? What if he does, only to tell me to stop radioing? What If he tells me he’s done with me and doesn’t want to see me again? What if he-_

He suddenly bumped into something, effectively startling him out of his thoughts.

“Ow. Hey, watch where you’re rolling.”

_Someone!_ Dusty belatedly realized, too perplexed to react in any way. Surprisingly enough the voice didn’t sound angry, quite the opposite in fact. His gaze snapped up to find out just who was lingering around his hangar but he froze in place the moment he laid eyes on the person in front of him. _Impossible!_ His head was empty, no thought managing to break through the thick curtain of surprise and shock that suddenly clouded him. It took his brain a full minute to catch on to what his eyes were seeing.

“Blade?”

The helicopter flinched at his name, looking all but nervous, his eyes not meeting Dusty’s.

_What are you doing here?_

He desperately wanted to know, but the question wouldn’t come past his lips. He was too afraid of the answer. Somehow the helicopter seemed to have read it in his eyes though because his gaze suddenly snapped up, icy blue meeting blue-turquoise as the look on the helicopter’s face grew more and more hesitant.

“Dusty-”

He averted his eyes again and coughed before continuing stutteringly.

“I- I came to…”

_To what? Tell me I’m unfit for your team? To never show my face again? That it’s all over?_

He felt his throat constrict, tears welling up in his eyes as he desperately tried to think of something to say to make him change his mind.

“I'm sorry! You told me to never act on my own, I did it anyway. I know that wasn't right and I promise I won't do it again. I swear, just please don't-“

He didn’t know what to say. _Leave me? Expel me? Break my core?_

Blade eyes widened and for a moment Dusty thought he could see a flash of fear in his helicopter’s eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it came, replaced by an uncertain yet firm stare.

“Don’t what?”

Blade’s voice sounded calm, but there was a slight tremor in it that made Dusty’s core sink.

_It’s over, isn’t it?_

For a few dreadful seconds, neither dared to say a word. Then, just as Dusty was about to burst into tears, Blade spoke up, voice now trembling.

"Look, I know what I did wasn't the best course of action, I just... “

He stopped, looking away again and taking a deep breath before continuing. Dusty just wanted to mute his audials and blend out the fact that Blade had come at all. _I’m not ready for this…_ He’d never be.

“When I saw you out there with the fire and without any backup and you barely making it, and I realized that there was nothing I could do I just... I panicked. When I saw you I could feel the flames from the mine all over again and I thought that- Chrysler, Dusty I thought you would crash from the pain like I did. Only that when I did you were there to help, but no one would have been there to help you. I thought I'd have to watch you die. I don't ever want to go through that again, I just..."

Blade broke off again, a single tear sliding down his face as his trembling intensified. Dusty just wanted to pull him into a hug and tell him that everything would be alright but he didn’t dare to move.

“Blade…”

The broken sound of his own voice surprised him, as more and more tears found their way down Blade’s face.

“I’m sorry.”

His voice was nothing more than a broken whisper, but Dusty still heard it. For the first time since the disastrous radio he felt hope bloom inside him and he let it, desperate to hold onto it. _He looks so scared…_ He couldn’t help it, he needed to comfort his helicopter. Without thinking Dusty pulled Blade into a tight hug, nuzzling his nose with his own and wiping away the tears that silently ran down his cheeks. After a while he could feel the helicopter relaxing into his side, the trembling slowly quieting down as Blade leaned into the touch, drawing in a shaky breath. Dusty reluctantly brought some distance between them, noting how Blade tried to keep him at his side and motioned towards his hangar.

"Would you like to come in? I'm sure I still got some coffee around, or heated oil if you'd like."

_We have a lot to talk about._

The helicopter nodded, still hesitant but a small smile spreading on his lips.

“I would like that.”

Dusty felt a weight lift from his core that he had feared he’d have to carry with him for the rest of his life. The relief that washed through him was indescribable as he felt a smile of his own tug at his lips.

_We’ll talk things out. Everything is going to be okay._

Taking one last calming breath he headed for his door and hit the controls.

“Come on in then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Were you surprised by any of the reactions or did you expect something like this? I'm curious :)


	9. A promise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that it's a bit later today, but I write a mathexam tomorrow and I was studying non stop.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy as their story continues:)

The door silently slid close behind him as Blade followed Dusty into the hangar. _His hangar. His home._ He still couldn’t quite grasp what had just happened, the hurricane of emotions making everything blurry. All he knew was that he was extremely grateful that Dusty hadn’t sent him away. It looked like he might be forgiven and it was more than he had been hoping for. Blade’s core had nearly stopped when Dusty had said ‘Please don’t…’ _I don’t know what I was thinking but it was something along the lines of ‘please don’t make this any harder than it already is’ or ’please don’t come anywhere near me from now on’. With the way I acted, it wouldn’t have surprised me. I’m just glad you didn’t._ He managed a small smile as he watched the plane shuffle through his boxes. Now that he was inside Dusty’s hangar he felt like a windlifterclass weight had been lifted from his chest. It felt freeing to finally let it all out and even though the occasional small tear was still sliding down his face he felt so relieved, almost happy.

_Dusty…_

The plane had stopped shuffling and started rolling back to Blade’s side, a sad smile on his face as he wiped another tear away with the tip of his wing.

“Blade… I need to apologize too. I was careless, no, reckless and I didn’t think ahead. What I did out there goes against everything you ever taught me and the firefighter codex and it did endanger me. As my chief and my friend, especially as my friend, you had every right to be mad. I was an idiot, I know that and I promise it won’t happen again. I meant what I promised you. I will never hurt you like Nick did. I’m not going to die on you Blade. It’s a promise.”

Blade felt his smile waver, his rotors beginning to tremble again. _Don’t make promises you can’t keep Champ. It hurts too much when they’re broken._

He couldn’t bare saying it out loud but the promise, so full of bittersweet hope, was all it took for the dam to break. All the fear and all the emotions that he had suppressed, hadn’t allowed himself to feel in so long suddenly broke free. The small relief that had come with Dusty’s forgiveness did no good to soothe this ache, it ran too deep. A broken sob wrenched past Blade’s lips and before he knew it tears were streaming down his cheeks, no end to them in sight. Memories came back unbidden, of flames and smoke, fluids, twisted metal, the last look of pained eyes, of a conversation, a promise that had been broken.

_Nick…_

The sobs intensified, choking him as he desperately tried to breathe in some air, the pain too great as it flooded every part of him, memories awakening that he had buried as deep as possible so very long ago, never to be remembered again. Memories he had managed to rule out, long forgotten.

_‘Blade?’_

_‘Yeah Nick?’_

_‘I love you.’_

_‘I’m glad you do. Guess what, I love you too.’_

_‘Blade?’_

_‘Hhm’_

_‘Let’s stay together forever, kay?’_

_‘Like a couple staying together or…’_

_‘Will you marry me Blade?’_

The pain became suffocating as the image in his head became clearer and clearer until Nick was right there, smiling at him with that hesitant, expecting look in his eyes that bore so much love.

_‘Yes…’_

Nick’s smile was blinding as he pulled Blade into a kiss.

_‘Yes!’_

It felt so perfect right then. Like nothing could bring them apart.

Somewhere in the distance there was shouting, someone looking for them. Nick nuzzled close again, giving Blade a small peck on the cheek before giving a meaningful glance in the direction of the shouting. Blade just smiled and shook his head as Nick lifted off towards the set with a mock frown on his face, turning around once more to give Blade the most brilliant smile he had ever seen on his face as Nick slowly faded from his sight.

_‘It’s a promise then...’_

Another sob wrenched past his lips as his core violently beat against his chest. He felt a warmth enveloping him, all too familiar and it only made him cry harder.

“A promise to never leave each other’s side…”

“I’m here Blade.”

His vision was slowly clearing, images from the past fading as his focus came back. As painful as the image of Nick had been, seeing him fade hurt all the more.

“Please don’t go…”

The embrace around him tightened.

“Don’t leave…”

The way his side was being rubbed felt so much like it had with Nick.

“Please…”

It was nothing more than a whimper, Blade knew that it was too late. _He already left._

“I’m here Blaze.”

Blade openly wept at those words, hadn’t heard them in so long. He threw himself at the plane, closing what little space had still been there as he pressed close. He needed to feel the other close right now, needed to feel his warmth, the beating of his core, needed to have some confirmation that the plane was really there. He needed to feel that Dusty wasn’t just another illusion, a broken promise, not really there.

“I’m here…”

He felt Dusty gently easing his wing over his tail, still rubbing Blade’s side with his nose. It felt nice to be held like that again, it was calming, familiar. His sobs slowly quieted down as he leaned on Dusty’s side. He felt warm, both inside and outside as his emotions gradually began to settle. _It’s in the past… It’s the present that counts._ He felt exhausted, all the stress of reliving all the pent-up emotions, of finally allowing his memories to be present in his mind catching up on him. The rubbing of his sides felt so comfortable. Dusty was so warm against him, like a cozy blanket. Blade felt his eyes slowly falling shut, finally allowing the memories he had repressed for so long to settle within him. He was too exhausted to push them down again, letting them flow in his mind instead as they finally began to find their place within him as just that: Memories. And for the first time and too exhausted to really do anything else, Blade found that it felt right to perorate with them. _Enough time has passed. I need to let you go Nick…_ The thought felt freeing, finally beginning to soothe the ache he had borne since that fateful day. He felt a small, exhausted smile settle on his lips as sleep slowly overcame him. _And I have a promise of my own for you Nick: You might be gone, but I will never forget you. The memories we made together will always be a part of me. That way you’ll always be by my side._ He snuggled closer to the plane at his side, barely awake. _I’m grateful Nick, for everything you gave me. Grant me this one last wish:_

_Let me go._

As Blade fell asleep, he felt a wave of peace wash over him.

A peace he hadn’t felt in almost 37 years.

                                    


“Blade?”

The voice rousing him was gentle, accompanied by a slow rubbing motion. Blade smiled as he leaned into the touch, still not quite awake.

“It’s getting dark outside.”

At that Blade fully woke. _Did I really sleep that long? Chrysler…_ His eyes snapped open, his cheeks darkening as his entire body felt like it was on fire.

“Sorry.”

A small laugh bubbled up from the bottom of his core, shocking both himself and Dusty in its lightness. Blade allowed the small smile to spread on his lips as he slowly eased away from the plane, never breaking eye contact.

“I did not mean to become an emotional wreck just now, or well, back then, and I definitely hadn’t planned on falling asleep on you…”

“And quite literally at that. I couldn’t move.”

Dusty said it with a laugh, giving Blade a small tailbump but he still couldn’t help feeling a little guilty at that.

“You looked so peaceful, I didn’t want to wake you if it wasn’t necessary. You looked like you needed the rest.”

Blade’s smile widened he felt something entirely new bloom in him. A new kind of happiness. _Just for you, Champ._

“I did.”

They smiled at each other, Dusty’s eyes almost shining as the worry that had still been there gradually left them and Blade swore to himself that he would remember this moment. _We are both complete idiots._ As if having read his thoughts, Dusty’s smile widened and Blade couldn’t help it, he pulled the plane close again, tugging him under his rotors. They stayed like that for a while, basking in each other's presence and the happy feeling it provided.

"You should really visit more often. I missed this.”

The plane chuckled quietly, shaking his head.

“Too boring without having to deal with the mess I make?”

Blade had to grin as well.

_More like the mess you make of me..._

Dusty grinned at him before continuing with a laugh.

"And here I was thinking you'd be glad to have me gone."

"Never. The Jumpers don't cause nearly enough trouble.”

They both broke into laughter at that and Blade felt the happiness grow.

“No but seriously, you should come over from time to time."

Dusty nuzzled his side, still grinning in that beautiful way that only he could. Blade felt his happiness mix with something else, something deeper. _Love._

"Trust me, I will as soon as I've got the time.”

Blade could tell that the plane was genuine and even though it wasn’t that big of a deal, it was that what made his happiness overflow.

“Speaking of which, I thought you guys were too short-staffed to get a day off. How come you're here?"

"As much as I'd like to say that I just had the time and wanted to come see you, Maru put me on medical leave."

The worry on the plane’s face instantly returned.

“Chrysler, are you injured?"

"No, but apparently he deemed me being completely desperate and not myself at all a serious enough medical condition to order me to go here for a vacation. And to sort things out. I don't think I'm allowed back there for the next few weeks."

Another chuckle rose from the plane’s lips as he shook his head, the worry gradually morphing back to happiness. Blade had to grin as well, the absurdity of his last statement only now registering. _I really was an idiot._

"Why doesn't this surprise me?”

They both laughed as Dusty jokingly contiued.

“Look at the bright side. You can stay here and deal with all the trouble I cause."

Blade chuckled as an answer as Dusty playfully bumped his side before gently easing out from under Blade’s rotors.

"Now, to get you that can of oil."


	10. Tag, you're it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's the next one. After all the drama it's finally getting a little lighter again. Hope you all Enjoy :)

It had been a while since Dusty had made use of his stock of blends of heated oil. Chug and Sparky preferred coffee, Skipper only indulged in it on special occasions and while he himself quite liked it, he found it a waste to drink it by himself. Heated oil was to be savored, drunk slowly in small sips and shared with someone _._ Blade had gladly accepted the can of Asian Motoroil Cranbeery and now they sat next to each other, sipping their oil and enjoying each other’s presence. If he hadn’t seen it with his own two eyes, Dusty wouldn’t know that Blade had been through two emotional breakdowns only a couple of hours ago. He still didn’t know what the second one had been all about, but he figured that something he had said had triggered Blade’s memories. _Maybe Nick promised not to die on him too. It would explain Blade’s reaction, and that he hung up. Or maybe he was just mad and needed to let that out._ There was no way he could know without asking, but he didn’t want to risk that. Whatever had caused Blade to break down, he had gotten over it. In fact, Blade looked quite happy at the moment, smiling while sipping his oil, his eyes shining with delight. Moonlight was shining on them through the windows, illuminating both him and Blade, giving the helicopter something enchanting. _You’re so beautiful Blade._ He must have been staring because a moment later Blade was nudging his side, a questioning look on his face.

“What is it? Did I spill oil on myself?”

Dusty shook his head, still a bit awestruck at the way Blade practically glowed.

“You look like a star right now.”

“Huh?”

Blade’s gaze turned from inquiring to puzzled as he looked himself up and down and Dusty couldn’t help a small chuckle. _You look kind of cute like this._

“Moonlight suits you Blaze, you should wear it more often.”

Blade stared at him for a few seconds before understanding showed in his eyes. Smirking he struck a pose, wiggling his rotors so that the moonlight caught on them and reflected. Blade let his rotors circle at a slow pace, causing the moonlight to be distributed in all directions. _It’s almost as beautiful as Piston Peak’s night sky. Almost._

“I take it from your reaction that that wasn’t a joke?”

Blade’s tone was teasing as he wiggled his tail suggestively, the moonlight illuminating the movement.

“It was, though I still meant it. You _do_ look beautiful in the moonlight.”

It slipped out before he could shut his mouth, his cheeks immediately heating up with boiling fluids underneath. _Oh Chrysler. Did I just call him beautiful?_ Blade looked taken aback for a second, but then gradually a smile was spreading on his face, growing and growing until it was almost as bright as the moon. He looked genuinely surprised but happy.

“You don’t look so bad yourself Champ. Though personally, I think sunset looks even better on you.”

Dusty snorted at that, shaking his head. Still, his cheeks darkened just a bit more at the compliment and his core fluttered in his chest. _It’s nice to just be together, joke around, laugh, talk… We haven’t really had time to do that before._ He was all the happier that Blade was there now. _We really need to spend more time together. Talking on the horn is nice and all, but that’s no comparison to this._ A sudden idea came to his mind and he quickly cast Blade a glance, the helicopter was still looking wonderfully beautiful, and before he could think about whether or not it was a good idea the words left his mouth.

“Would you like to go out for a flight tomorrow?”

His core sped up a bit, beating against his chest. _It’s not like I asked him on a date or anything, we will just go as friends._ Yet somehow it still felt like he had done just that. Blade’ look of surprise deepened but his smile remained. After a few seconds which felt like hours, he broke the silence, the smile on his face widening.

“I’d love to Champ. It’s been a while since we last flew together.”

_Plus, this will be the first time we fly together because of our own free will. No obligations, just two friends spending time together._

Dusty’s own smile became just a fraction wider as he dreamily gazed at Blade. _How is it possible that I didn’t fall for you the moment I first laid eyes on you? You’re so wonderful…_

Blade held his gaze, smile turning gentle with something unreadable in his eyes. Dusty slowly found himself getting lost in those icy blues. It felt like drowning, but in a good way, a happy feeling bubbling in his chest. _I could stay like this forever…_ After a few minutes of silently looking into each other’s eyes, Blade’s eyes fluttered closed. It was only for a second but it effectively broke the spell. Dusty opened his mouth to say something, but a yawn came out instead. He had almost forgotten that he hadn’t gotten enough sleep and trained way too much not too long ago. He shot Blade an apologetic smile that the helicopter answered with a quick nuzzle to his side.

“You’re tired.”

Dusty wanted to disagree, he didn’t want Blade to go, but instead another yawn came out. He slowly felt the exhaustion get to him, his strength gradually leaving.

“Sorry Blaze.”

Blade shook his head, still smiling.

“To be honest, I am too. I guess we both have an exhausting day behind us.”

Blade quietly chuckled, giving him a tailbump before bringing some distance between them.

“Good night Champ.”

It was a smile he had never seen on Blade before. It looked gentle, almost fond.

“Good night Blade. Sweet dreams.”

Blade quickly nuzzled his side one more time before getting up and rolling to the door.

“I will see you tomorrow Dusty.  Sleep well.”

With that he closed the door behind him, giving Dusty one last smile. _I will Blade. Now that you are here I will._ His wheels found their way to his sleeping mat on their own accord. He sank down on it, only now beginning to feel the extent of his exhaustion. It didn’t take long for his eyes to fall shut as he snuggled into his blanket, a smile still on his face. That night he dreamt of Blade, a date, stars and the moonlight. The smile never left his face.

                             a

The sun had only just begun to rise when Dusty woke again. He could hear the birds chirping outside and felt his core flutter. _We’re going on a flight today!_ A flight that felt like it could be a date. He still couldn’t quite believe that the helicopter was really there and had agreed to spend time with him. It felt wonderful. _You’re wonderful._ Blushing a bit he turned towards the mirror in his hangar to freshen up a little, only to stop dead in his tracks when he caught sight of his reflection. _Oh damn it!_ He had completely forgotten his little escapade with the trees the other day. His body hadn’t: His paint was scratched and his plating dented with dried fluid all over it where the branches had cut the plating. The wounds were only minor, nothing a good polish couldn’t fix, but they still worried him. _I looked like this the entire time we talked yesterday. Blade must have noticed. Chrysler…_ He quickly turned away from the mirror and headed for his door, doublechecking that Blade wasn’t outside before opening it. He went straight for the Fill n’ Fly, grabbing a can of oil when he entered the door and ringing the little bell that Dottie had installed to alert her of a customer. The forklift appeared out of nowhere, wearing her usual professional smile that widened just a fraction when she saw that it was Dusty.

“Morning Dusty. What can I do for you today? We don’t have a checkup scheduled, is something wrong?”

Dusty instantly had to smile at the concern in his friend’s voice. While Dottie had taken to fully supporting him in his career and helping wherever she could, the forklift had never stopped worrying about him. _It’s kind of sweet._

“Morning Dottie. I’m okay, don’t worry.”

His grin turned sheepish as she gave him a pointed look, gesturing at his plating.

“Ah, yeah, aside from that. It’s minor, trust me. I just had a run-in with a few branches, nothing serious. Could you polish me up? I kind of want to make a good appearance today.”

His cheeks were heating as he thought of Blade, his smile widening a bit and drawing a teasing chuckle from Dottie.

“I know that look…”

The forklift laughed as she reached for a rag to clean off the dried fluids.

“Don’t worry Dusty, when I’m done with you, you’ll be as clean as a newborn.”

With that she got to work, absentmindedly humming the tune of an old love song and simultaneously causing Dusty’s cheeks to heat up even more as his core beat with excitement. _Pull yourself together!_ He almost had to chuckle at his own giddiness as he watched Dottie work, unconsciously making sure that she did a good job. First, she washed off the coarse dirt and the fluids. Then she used a cleanser to get the streaks the branches had left on his paint off, all the while humming and wearing a teasing grin that he just knew was aimed at him. He chose to ignore it, instead opting to close his eyes and sip his oil as he relaxed under the soft touch of the polishing cloth that followed. He loved being polished, it always did a great deal to calm him down and help him relax and in this case, calm his frantic corebeat. After about thirty minutes of Dottie cleaning, polishing and detailing him, his plating was shining.

“There you go Dusty. Now don’t mess it up.”

She winked at him, her grin morphing into an outright playful smirk as she cleaned up her polishing tools. Dusty felt himself blush again, silently cursing his hydraulics and quickly rolling for the exit. The moment he left the Fill n’ Fly and felt the sun rays warm his plating he felt a calmness, mixed with happiness and anticipation. _This day is going to be great._ He closed his eyes, savoring the warmth on his plating and the wonderful feeling that it awakened within him. Until his nose hit something solid.

“Ow.”

His eyes flew open as he hurried to apologize, only to stop in utter humiliation as he realized who he had just rolled into.

“That's the second time now Champ, you really need to watch where you're rolling."

“Blade!”

His slight blush intensified to the point his cheeks felt like they were aflame. His attempt to conceal it failed miserably and so he settled on a sheepish grin, hoping that the helicopter wasn’t angry at him for not being more careful.

“Sorry…”

Blade only chuckled good-humoredly, giving Dusty a tailbump before bringing some distance between them.

“It’s alright. Nice polish by the way.”

If possible, Dusty’s cheeks grew even darker.

“Nothing against the rustical look, but personally I’d say this looks much better on you. Almost as good as sunset.”

The warm smile that Blade was giving him was slowly melting his core, the happiness spreading through his entire being. _I could hug the world right now._

“So, are you ready to see the awesomeness that is my home? It has some nice little wonders.”

He almost wiggled his eyelids, barely able to contain his happy grin and well aware that his giddiness showed on his face.

_If at a loss for words, tease. Always works._

Blade’s deep, rich laughter filled the air and Dusty marveled at the sound. _I’ve never heard you laugh like this before. You sound so unburdened. It’s nice to hear._

Still grinning he motioned for the runway. Blade followed him, lifting up and waiting in the air until Dusty got permission to take off. As soon as he was up in the air and felt the sun on his plating, he fell into the easy routine of flying his warmup round. He flew over the endless fields, showing his old workplace to Blade. Afterward, he headed to his training grounds. Out of habit he flew through the silos in radial Gs. When he heard Blade laugh behind him an idea bloomed in his head and he turned around, circling his love.

“Want to race?”

Blade’s eyelids shot up as he shot the Dusty a questioning glance, prompting him to fly a radial G around the helicopter and circle him again.

“You Champ?”

“Yep. Think you can beat me Blaze?”

Blade’s eyes gleamed at the challenge and Dusty absolutely loved it.

“Sure I can.”

“Slalom through the trees, scooping from the river, fly under the bridge and pull up?”

Dusty belatedly realized that that had almost sounded as Blade’s introduction to Augerin Canyon and they both snorted, Blade even losing a bit of altitude as he let his emotions run free. Dusty had never seen him like that before.

“Ready whenever you are Champ.”

The helicopter was still chuckling, rising to his former altitude and giving Dusty a careful tailbump.

“Just don’t be too disappointed when I beat you.”

The smirk in his voice was audible and as if there had been an invisible sign, both of them gained speed and headed for the trees. Dusty was a little faster, but Blade was much more accustomed to flying through trees, especially in sharp curves. He left the forest a little time before Dusty, heading for the river and releasing his scoops. Dusty sped up, flying as fast as he could as he pulled up next to Blade, scooping as well as he surpassed his friend. The bridge came in sight and Blade’s tanks were full before Dusty’s, giving him the advantage of flying without the water slowing him down. They were even as they flew under the bridge and pulled up, nose to nose, tanks almost touching each other. They stayed like that, rising higher and higher until they broke through the clouds. Like an unspoken agreement passed between them, they circled each other once and then let themselves fall again, breaking through the clouds and lowering themselves close to the ground. Both of them were panting as they mock chased each other over the meadows and hills, one sometimes surpassing the other, but most of the time they flew even. Both of them were laughing and at some point, they gradually slowed down, marking the end of their little race as they flew slowly over a field full of cows to catch their breath.

“What do you think Blaze? A tie?”

“You wish! I owned you Champ.”

The helicopter grinned at him, motioning for the cows underneath them.

“I got to see some nice little wonders too. I haven’t seen cows in the longest time. We only have deer up at Piston Peak.”

Blade’s smile grew soft and Dusty felt himself mirroring the action.

“Look how they are taking care of their young. The mother always has an eye on their offspring, but the rest of the heard is keeping watch too. These over here look for potential threats around them, and those over there are keeping an extra eye on the mother to make sure that she is okay. They’re like one big family… Ah, sorry. I tend to get carried away with these things, I didn’t mean to bore you.”

“No, no, you didn’t bore me. Never ever think that! You’ve got a certain way of seeing the world Blade, and it’s really fun to do things like this with you because you can give someone a totally different view on it. It’s really awesome, and believe me when I’m saying I’m enjoying it to the fullest. Don’t hold back because of me.”

_I like you just the way you are, with all your quirks and flaws, and all the beautiful things you are._

Blade fell silent, a faraway look in his eyes as he kept his gaze on the cows, where a bull was now coming for the cow and rubbing his nose at her side. Dusty let the silence befall them, enjoying the comfortable quietness and being able to hear the sounds of nature. The cows below were mooing, birds were chirping somewhere around and in the distance, the river could be heard. They stayed like that for a while, silently flying next to each other and enjoying their surroundings. _I really need to do this more often. It’s easy to forget how nice this place really is._ Dusty felt the water in his tanks shift, reminding him that he had a full load in them. _Huh, what now? Drop it back in the river? Or…_ An idea was slowly forming in his head as he quietly climbed up behind Blade until he was directly over him. Watching the helicopter to make sure that he wouldn’t hurt him, Dusty carefully opened his scoops, releasing some of the water he had scooped off the river on Blade. He couldn’t help his laugh at the surprised yelp that came from Blade at the sudden cold and wetness.

“Tag, you’re it!”

With that Dusty sped forward again, still grinning as he regulated his speed. Not too fast for Blade to catch up, but fast enough to give him a chase. He could hear the sound of Blade’s rotors speeding up in the distance, coming closer at rapid speed. _Well well Blade, you’re faster than I gave you credit for._ He sped up a little more, flying a few easy maneuvers to make himself a harder target. Blade caught up to him in no time nonetheless, releasing a part of his load on Dusty and chuckling as he sped away.

“Tag, you’re it!”

The water was icy cold, for a moment Dusty felt like he was frozen. Then the shock passed and he went after Blade, determination rising in him as he started to fully commit to his newly invented game.

“Come on Champ, is that all you’ve got? Catch me, come on!”

Blade’s tone was teasing as he flew a provocative looping, only urging Dusty on. _Just you wait Blaze, I’ll come and get you._ He flew faster, reaching Blade in the middle of his loop and soaking him in the freezing liquid. Blade only laughed and quickly turned around, promptly releasing his own load on Dusty and then quickly bringing some distance between them. It went on like that, one chasing the other and soaking them in water then fleeing from getting soaked themselves. All the while they were laughing nonstop, smiling and chuckling and shooting each other grins whenever their gazes met. They continued playing until their tanks were empty, leaving both of them soaked to the core, freezing and exhausted from all the laughter.

“Want to head home and drink some heated oil to warm up?”

Dusty felt himself smile at his offering. _Why do I even ask?_

“I thought you’d never ask. As nice as this is, it’s starting to get cold.”

“Yeah, soaking yourself in icy water in early autumn might not be the smartest thing. But it was totally worth it.”

Blade snorted, flying a bit faster as they headed for the runway.

“This was about the most ridiculous thing I have ever done in my downtime, Champ.”

“Yeah, me too. But you have to admit, apart from the freezing it was kind of fun, wasn’t it Blaze?”

“Absolutely Champ. Got a name for it yet?”

“Never thought of that. Any ideas?”

Still grinning the helicopter declined, slowly descending as the runway came in sight.

“What about Watercatch?”

The helicopter shot him a sideways glance, nodding approvingly.

“Sounds good. Let’s do it again some time.”

“Really?”

Dusty hadn’t thought that Blade would want to play it again. _I had quite some fun, but I din’t think you’d be the person to like this kind of thing. Glad I was wrong. This really is fun._

“Sure, why not. If nothing else it’s a good target practice. I might even include it in training.”

The mocking tone was enough to ease Dusty’s nerves, though he couldn’t help imagining the Smokejumpers getting hold of the game and terrorizing the rest of the team with it.

“You better not. The Jumpers will never let you hear the end of it. Besides, this is our game.”

_Whoops. That came out slightly more possessive than it was supposed to be…_

For the fourth time that day Dusty felt himself blush as he landed on the runway. Blade set down right next to him, giving him a playful rotorbump and shooting him a happy smile.

“Alright Champ. It’s our little secret.”

It sounded just a tad too serious and they both broke into laughter again, barely able to stop.

_I can’t remember when I last laughed this much in one day._

It looked like something similar was going through Blade’s head, because the next thing he said as they sobered up a little was with a look in his eyes that you got when you were thinking of something long past.

“I really need to come more often. I haven’t had this much fun in years.”

Dusty could see the faintest blush on the helicopter’s cheeks, his core speeding up at the possibility of spending days like this one with Blade more often. _I’m glad that we both had fun. It’s been too long since I last had a day like this._

“I haven’t had so much fun in way too long either. But I’m glad I’m having it now.”


	11. Heres to the truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blade's little visit in Propwash continues... Enjoy :)
> 
> Also, ShadowKitt, remember your first (or was it the second?) question? I found your answer ;)

Time simply flew while he was in Propwash. He spent most of his time with Dusty, flying around, watching him train, doing a little training and coaching himself and playing tons of watercatch. On the few occasions that it rained, Dusty had invited him over to watch a movie or simply enjoy heated oil and talk. Two weeks time had never felt so short before.

_No, not quite. They did when I was with Nick._

It was the first time in a really long time that the thought of Nick didn’t hurt. In fact, it even caused him a small smile.

“Blade? Are you listening to me?”

He jolted at the plane’s voice, his smile turning somewhat guilty.

“Sorry Champ. What was that?”

Dusty chuckled and shook his head, giving Blade a teasing wingbump.

“Well, I was going to ask you if you wanted to come to my next race and watch from backstage, but since you seem so busy…”

_No, I’m not!_ Blade hastily tried to convey his interest, stumbling over the words in his rush and ending up mumbling something unintelligible. Dusty stared at him for a few seconds, confusion written all over his face before he started giggling. It was quite contagious and Blade found himself laughing as well as he shook his head, trying to formulate an understandable answer this time and utterly failing to do so. Dusty had a way of doing that to him, catching him off guard with a reaction Blade had least anticipated. More often than not it caused them to laugh.

“Sure thing…., I’d….., be delighted to come.”

If possible Dusty’s grin turned even wider at his confirmation.

“Good. I was worried you wouldn’t. I kind of don’t want to leave you here all by yourself, who knows what crazy ideas you’d get then.”

Despite his teasing expression, the plane sounded absolutely sincere. Blade felt his smile softening. _You worry about me… Thank you._ Before he knew it his cheeks were heating, something that seemed to happen a lot more often since he had come to Propwash Junction. _Seems like Maru was right about this place and its ‘healing atmosphere’._ He had to snort at the thought, causing another fit of giggles to emerge until the two of them were breathless from laughing. Another thing that came to be a common occurrence.

“So, tomorrow morning come meet us at the runway before sunrise. We’ve got a semi-long flight to get to the race and as a participant I can’t be late.”

“I’m a firefighter Champ. Before sunrise is my usual waking time.”

“I know Blaze.”

Dusty’s smile grew a touch softer and caused Blade’s core to speed up.

“But it’s your vacation. I just wanted to make sure that would be okay with you.”

_For spending time with you Champ? I’d get up in the middle of the night._

Blade kept that little bit to himself, but he couldn’t quite keep himself from quickly nuzzling the plane’s side. Dusty squeaked as Blade found a rather ticklish spot where his wings met his underside, causing Blade’s grin to turn slightly devilish. Dusty yelped as he purposefully pressed his nose into that spot again, breathing hot air over the cool metal and sending the plane fleeing. Laughing, Blade went after him, having a clear disadvantage on the ground but trying nonetheless. When Dusty realized that he was being followed, he made a sharp turn towards Skipper’s hangar, mock slurring his movements and overdramatically crying out for help. It didn’t take long for the warplane to jump out of his doors, his forklift right behind him. He was looking about ready to murder someone, gaze only softening when he laid eyes on a still giggling Dusty, as he quickly hid behind Sparky. Blade couldn’t help but snort at the image of the little forklift trying to cover the plane three or four times his size, but Sparky was nothing if not determined and the second that Blade moved, he was attacked. It all happened in good humor, everyone careful not to harm each other and mindful of sensitive plating, but it quickly turned into a full out mocking brawl. Dusty was quick to join the fight while Skipper preferred to stay on the sidelines and keep an eye on things. The not quite fight quickly returned to its origin, a tickling game where all three of them tried to simultaneously get the other breathless from laughing and avoid running out of breath themselves.

Later on, Blade couldn’t tell how it had gotten that far, but at some point Skipper had forcefully intervened by suddenly and very precisely jabbing a point on the left underside of his tanks, forcing him to hiss at the sharp pain, instantly backing off.

“What was that for?”

“You were the most suitable target. Sparky knows these tricks from way back, and Dusty is the reason I used them in the first place. Even if it’s just a tickle war, this was starting to look ugly. Dusty, you’ve got a race tomorrow and as your coach, it is my job to look out for your safety.”

The plane frowned at the former soldier, looking a bit like a pouting child, and Blade quietly had to laugh. This conversation sounded very, _very_ familiar. He still remembered a couple of very energetic Smokejumpers wearing similar expressions and a very annoyed and slightly injured heavy lifter scowling like he wanted to threaten a fire into ceasing to burn. It had taken him weeks to get Cabbie and his protegees to reconcile after the argument that had followed that little staring contest. Besides, Skipper had a point there. Such things tended to escalate fairly quickly and without bad will. He’d rather have an aching tank than be at fault for accidentally hurting Dusty. Blade watched with amusement as the staring contest between coach and racer turned into a fond smile on both sides, as Sparky quickly shuffled back to stand behind his friend. He had to admit that they did kind of look like a family then.

“Okay, no roughhousing. Anything else sir?

“Drop the sir and get to your sleeping mat. Wouldn’t want to disappoint your fans by showing anything but your best tomorrow.”

At that, Skipper shot a pointed look towards Blade. Before he knew it, his cheeks were boiling hot and he quickly averted his gaze, grateful that Skipper kept on talking and, hopefully, held Dusty’s attention. _Get a hold of yourself! You’re a grown mechanism!_ At that moment though, he felt like he was anything but. _What if Skipper knows? Chrysler, am I really that obvious? He doesn’t even really know me!_ A short wave of panic washed through him, freezing his thoughts and shortly paralyzing him. If Skipper knew, then he could get into serious trouble. The coach seemed rather protective of the other plane, not to mention really close. _He’s either going to tell Dusty, as his friend or try and sabotage me if he has feelings for him too._ Just because they weren’t a couple, didn’t mean that Skipper couldn’t still harbor some feelings for his young friend. _I wouldn’t blame him…_ He was so lost in thought, that he almost missed Dusty gently bumping his side, shooting him a soft smile.

“I guess I better head in for tonight. Sweet dreams Blaze. See you tomorrow at dawn.”

He quickly shoved the worries down, focusing on the warm feeling that filled his tanks slowly spreading. Physical contact was another thing that had become a regular thing between them. Sighing softly he pulled the other into a short hug, only reluctantly letting go. Dusty’s smile mirrored his own as he slowly drew away, turning towards his hangar and waving with one wing. Blade inclined his rotors, waving back.

 “Sleep well Champ.”

                                A

The next morning came with a beautiful sunrise, only amplified when it sparkled in both his own and the SEAT’s paintjob. Mindful of Skipper, Blade kept the comment about sunrise in comparison to sunset to himself, but judging from the way that Dusty wiggled his eyelids at him his thought had been received loud and clear. Grinning he watched as the plane struck a small pose that made the sunbeams illuminate his wings just so. _I don’t think I’ll ever tire of seeing you like this. I keep repeating myself, but Chrysler, Champ… Beautiful doesn’t even come close, not to this._

“Dusty. You can bathe in the sun all you want after the race. For now, how about we get airborne?”

Skipper’s voice effectively pulled Bade from his staring, bringing him back to the circumstances under which they had met up in the first place. _Right, the race. This will be exciting._ In a flash of humor, he thought about Dipper, and how she would probably have given her wingtips to be able to watch Dusty from backstage. _Better not let her know I did this._ The fact that Dusty allowed him to be part of his career, and denied it to Dipper, left him with a slightly immature feeling of smug satisfaction. He just couldn’t help it. As they took of against the rising sun, Blade could feel the warm winds around him, accompanied by the sounds of nature slowly awakening. It provided a nice addition to the otherwise silent flight. Dusty was mentally preparing for the race, Skipper was the only one who knew how to get there, and Blade was content with silently observing his surroundings, both to look for danger and a few wonders. During the three hour flight, he found quite a few of the latter and luckily none of the former. Once they reached their destination and landed on the runway, the entire atmosphere seemed to shift. Everything around them was busy with shuffling mechanisms, each trying to get to their respective destinations: There were tons of fans, quite a few who hysterically started screaming once their little group had been spotted, security to make sure that the participants made it to the coaching zone without trouble and of course the racers. As they made their way through the crowd towards their tent, Blade felt like he was drowning. He had never been to a normal race before and the seemingly chaotic way that it was structured, or rather _not_ structured was slightly overwhelming. He could hear the plane quietly chuckle behind him.

“It’s quite a lot to take in the first time, isn’t it? You should have seen me when I went to the qualifiers for the first time.”

“From what I gathered, you were more nervous than overwhelmed. You even almost forgot to go to registration. Speaking of which, you should probably go. It’s not that long until the race is scheduled to start and I’m not letting you out there without the proper warm up.”  
  
Dusty grinned sheepishly before turning away from them to search for the registration tent. Blade could only shake his head, a warm feeling in his tanks as he watched the plane go, looking so happy and absolutely at home.

“So, Blade. Seeing how you’re a first timer you probably want to see everything, don’t you?”

The grin in Skipper’s voice was audible and Blade had to laugh when he realized that to the coach he must have seemed like a child with his look of awe and wonder.

“Yeah, kinda. As long as it’s not causing any trouble. I wouldn’t want to accidentally sabotage the race.”

“I’ll make sure of that. So, come with me. I’ll show you the warmup.”

Skipper led Blade through the seemingly completely unstructured mess of tents with absolute ease. Blade tried his best to remember the way to their tent, but after the first five curves he lost all sense of direction. It didn’t take long for them to reach a separate field that was slightly secluded from the rest and had a few obstacles on it. There, most of the racers were already in the air, making easy turns, flying their rounds, practicing last maneuvers and just letting their engines run warm. Blade’s eyes immediately found Dusty, following the plane intently as he flew some lazy turns, stretching his wings and slowly getting into the movement. The look of concentration on his face despite the seemingly careless maneuvers he was flying was unlike anything Blade had ever seen on the planes face. It was like an all-new side of him and highly intriguing to watch. Dusty’s eyes were sharp, taking in everything around him and his body was relaxed but aware, always ready to strike if he needed too. Suddenly, out of nowhere, he let himself fall, immediately going into a steep climb before turning into a radial G and flying in a zigzag, all at incredible speed. His look of concentration never changed. Even if the maneuver must have been quite hard to do there was no sign of exhaustion on Dusty’s face. _How do you do this Champ? You’re not even breaking a sweat. This is amazing!_

Blade watched with a look of awe as the plane turned again and headed for two other racers who were engaging in a little game of tag. They happily let him join and chatted away while trying to stay elusive and not get caught by whoever was it. Blade distinctly remembered Dusty telling him about some of his racing colleagues. If he remembered the descriptions correctly the ones he was currently with were Bulldog and El Chupacabra. Dusty seemed to be on friendly terms with them. The game was relaxed, free of any tension or rivalry and all three of them were laughing, the concentration never leaving them though. Blade truly admired them at that moment. _How do you do it? How can you still be so relaxed? I’d be completely tense by now…_ But the racers were anything but tense. A pink jet, Rochelle if he remembered correctly, came up to the three of them, coaxing El Chupacabra away and dragging him down in a heated kiss. Blade’s core nearly stopped and his eyes instinctively flung to Dusty, fixating him. The red, black and white plane just laughed though, shaking his head and calling over to an orange jet flying nearby to take Chupacabras place. Blade instantly recognized her. Dipper had talked about her countless times. She’d been in the papers and on TV more times than Blade could count. Dusty had told him about her as well. _Ishani_ … He felt his tanks twist at her name. After all, if you went by what the news said, she was his girlfriend. And even if she wasn’t, she was beautiful and had an admirable character. _How could you possibly not like her?_ The thought stung. And as he watched them interact, flying around each other, chasing each other over the field, nearly touching, always close to the other and smiling that sickeningly sweet loving smile. Dusty had never behaved like that around him. That realization hurt. It was producing a mix of emotions that he couldn’t quite place, planting doubts of insecurity inside him that kept nagging at him. _How would I even stand a chance when she is around. Those two are perfect, they’re practically made for each other. She’s young, beautiful, smart, a plane…_

“I think you’ve seen enough here. Let’s keep going, I’ll show you from where you’ll watch the race.”

Blade’s gaze snapped to the side, where Skipper regarded him with a stern look that held something Blade couldn’t quite grasp. But it felt important, so he didn’t complain and instead chose to obediently follow the plane away from the fields. He couldn’t help but glance back once more, seeing Dusty and Ishani climbing belly to belly towards the clouds. He quickly turned away and hurried after Skipper. There’s no reason to get jealous! _Getting jealous now will only cause harm. I need to calm down!_ That was easier said than done though. Blade ended up blindly following Skipper through the maze of tents and stands, noting that the plane was explaining things to him but too occupied with trying to get rid of his negative thoughts to listen to anything that was being said. He only snapped out of it when their little tour came to an abrupt stop at a tent near the runway.

“And this concludes our tour. This tent is ours. You can watch the race from here. I’ll be busy giving pointers and keeping an eye on him, but feel free to just enjoy the race, okay?”

Blade absentmindedly nodded and made his way to the runway, finding a good spot from where he could see everything while not being in the way of the coaches. As soon as he found one and had gotten comfortable, he couldn’t help the amazement and excitement that came creeping back into his core. The thrumming in his chest as he watched the racers take their positions was becoming familiar and Blade had already grown to love it. All his thoughts were fixating themselves on the race, taking in the competitors and surroundings. The crowd was roaring in the background and Blade was tempted to cheer along. But he didn’t want to disturb anybody so he settled with quietly cheering them on in his head. His eyes flitted over the stands, taking in the mass of spectators and quietly wondering again how he could have missed the fun of races for the better part of his life. _It’s absolutely amazing._ As the race started Blade’s eyes were trained on Dusty, following his every move and getting lost in the way he flew. Blade was surprised again and again by how the plane could captivate him like that by simply flying. But it was magnificent to watch. Throughout the entire race Blade’s gaze didn’t leave the plane once, completely ignoring the other racers or anybody around him for that matter. It was an amazing race to watch.

When the planes landed on the runway again, Blade was still too absorbed to really realize who had come in first. His every thought was on the way the plane had flown, leaned into those turns, gleamed in the sunlight. Blade’s tires carried him onto the tarmac by themselves, instinctively rolling towards Dusty. He reached him even before Skipper could, pulling the plane into a tight embrace and noticing the screens displaying who came in when. Dusty had come in third. Blade couldn’t help but feel proud.  
  
“You were amazing out there Champ! Congratulations!”

Dusty beamed at him, tightening their embrace and for a moment Blade felt like he was overflowing with happiness. It was amazing to hold him close like that, feel the warmth of his touch against his plating and not letting go.

"That was one heck of a race Champ. Had you been able to fly like this when we met I could have certified you in a day."

It was nothing more than a whisper, but he could feel Dusty’s smile against his cheek. Slowly, reluctantly, Blade let go of him, giving the plane some space to speak to his other congratulators as well. Dusty shot him a brilliant smile, wiggling with his tailfins.

"Yeah, I am pretty great, aren't I Blaze."

They both laughed, falling into the familiarity of mock bickering, forgetting the world around them and getting lost in their own little universe where it was just the two of them. Until a soft voice snapped them out of it.

“Dusty? Congratulations on winning third place.”

“Ishani! Why are you here congratulating me? You should celebrate! I mean, congrats on coming in first!”

Blade could see how the plane’s entire demeanor shifted in a matter of seconds. The look in his eyes changed, and he seemed so much more excited as he let his wing drape itself over Ishani’s back, leading her off to the side while chatting with her. The smile never left his face and as they rolled out of sight Blade couldn’t help a burst of jealousy, mixed with fear. It took all his willpower not to call after them or even follow them. _Idiot! Now’s not the time._  Ignoring Skipper’s knowing gaze and raised eyelids he forced himself to relax and smile. He knew that he wasn’t doing a very good job at it, but he didn’t really have a choice. Taking a deep breath he turned around, heading for the first stand his eyes landed on. A booth for drinks. _Maybe that’s just what I need…_ Without thinking he rolled over to the booth, grabbing the first can he could reach and paid for it. It was icecooled and made out of different herbs, a blend he had never tried before. As he testingly took a few sips from it, Blade found it strangely calming. Taking his time with his drink, Blade looked around for a while before deciding that it was safe for him to go back. However, when he reached their tent, Dusty was nowhere to be seen.

“If you’re looking for Dusty, he’s out with the others celebrating.”

Blade nearly jumped at the unexpected voice behind him before relaxing again as he realized it was only Skipper.

“He probably won’t be back till the evening, so there’s no use in waiting here. You should go and enjoy yourself.”

Blade’s core sunk at those words. _I mean, I knew this was probably going to happen, but somehow I still hoped it wouldn’t. I guess that was foolish._ Nodding at Skipper in acknowledgment Blade turned around, heading back to the booths to try and enjoy himself. He gave up fairly quickly though. Having fun all alone was always a hard task but with thoughts of Dusty and Ishani somewhere together constantly in the back of his mind, it was impossible. After half an hour of trying Blade gave up and headed for the little hotel that all the racers and teams were supposed to stay at for the night. Alone in the silence of his room though, the thoughts he so desperately tried to suppress rang all the louder. _Have you seen the way he looks at her? And how she looks back? That smile of yours… You never smiled at me like that Champ… She’s young, beautiful, a racer, she’s everything I’m not and so much more. I never stood a chance!_ The thoughts were becoming deafening and Blade found himself getting lost in them. They hurt, each of them more than the last. A small part in the back of his mind kept yelling at him that he was overreacting, but it was drowned out by the much louder thoughts of despair and insecurity. _I’ll never be good enough…_

Blade couldn’t tell how long he had been sitting in his room, losing himself in one depressing thought after another. At some point, all sense of time had left him. It was why he was immensely grateful when the sound of a tentative knock on his door finally snapped him out of it. To his shock, he found his room completely dark save for the pale light of the early moon coming in through the window. _Is it really that late already?_ The knock on his door turned a bit more forceful, reminding Blade why he had gotten up in the first place. _Who could it be? It’s late and no one here really knows me. Unless…_

“Dusty…”

To say Blade was surprised to find the plane outside of his door would be an understatement. _I thought you were out with Ishani…_

“Hey Blade. Can I come in?”

The plane was shooting him a sheepish grin, producing two cans of expensive looking oil out of nowhere, his smile turning soft. Blade only nodded, rolling to the side to let the plane in, still too surprised to really say something. Instead, Dusty carefully set the cans down on the floor before turning around to Blade, his gaze soft and apologetic.

"Sorry for leaving you all alone back there but I don't see them too often, or at least not all at once so this was kind of special. I tried ditching them a few times but they can be ... persuasive."

Blade’s tanks quietly twisted at the thought just _how_ the other racers had persuaded him. An image of Dusty and Ishani curled up close together and kissing somewhere in the moonlight burned itself into his thoughts, and even if it was just there for a flash, the thought hurt deeply. Blade almost hissed, biting down on his lips just in time and instead quickly averting his gaze, praying the plane didn’t notice the hurt look in his eyes.

“Wanna go out on the balcony? The view is quite spectacular I heard.”

Suddenly Dusty sounded so unsure of himself and Bladed hated himself for making the plane feel like he wasn’t welcome. _You’re always welcome Champ. Please don’t ever doubt that._ But no matter how hard he tried, the words wouldn’t leave his lips. The tension between them grew almost painful as both pointedly looked anywhere but at each other. After a minute of pointless staring Blade quietly hummed in agreement, heading for the doors that led to the balcony and holding them open, waiting for Dusty to pick up the oil and come outside. They sat down next to each other, eyes fixed on the sight in front of them. Neither dared to say a word and as the seconds ticked by and slowly turned into minutes, it turned more and more awkward. The tension was thick enough to be cut with a knife. Once more it was Dusty trying to make it better, take the awkwardness away and Blade felt guilty for not even trying, but he just didn’t know what to say. Without really saying anything, the plane handed him one of the cans of oil, shooting him a sideways glance, looking worried, almost scared. That hit Blade hard, like a punch in the tanks. _Chrysler Champ, I’m sorry…_

Taking the can Blade turned towards Dusty, looking him directly into the eyes and putting everything soothing he had into his gaze. He could gradually see the plane’s features relax and with that, the tension slowly evaporated. Blade took a deep breath of fresh night air, his eyes never leaving Dusty’s, and lifting his can.

"To your girlfriend Dusty. I hope you two will find eternal happiness."

_I better get used to saying this… One evening full of tension is more than enough. I’d rather not ruin any more time with my jealousy._ The words were still hard to say, and he’d had to rehearse them again and again over the course of the afternoon. But he was determined to keep his friendship with the plane intact. _You’re too important to me, I won’t just lose you because of this. And if having you around means having her by your side so be it. I’ll deal with it._ And yet he found it hard to keep his voice from wavering. Dusty’s eyes widened in shock, his gaze of utter disbelief as he stared at Blade, seemingly at a loss for words. _Dusty?_ The silence stretched into minutes, and Blade felt his core sink in fear. _Was that the wrong thing to say? Was I too obvious? Did you figure out I am jealous? Are you mad at me now?_ He was halfway through working himself into a full-fledged panic, helplessly staring at the seemingly frozen plane when the moment passed and Dusty closed his gaping mouth, eyes snapping shut before opening again. A defensive glare was burning in them as he violently shook his head. Blade gulped down his fear, reluctantly looking the plane in the eyes again, only to be met by an intense and stern gaze that sent a shiver through his core.

“Blade, listen. Ishani is NOT my girlfriend. Never has been, never will be. She still has issues with something she once did to me and I never saw her as more than a friend. She's from India, so on the rare occasion that we get to see each other of course we spend some time together but that's all it is. And usually someone else always comes along too. I'm sorry just..."

The plane averted his gaze, a flash of hurt shimmering in his eyes before being lost to the dark. He left the sentence unfinished, but Blade had a pretty good idea what Dusty had been trying to say. _I’m sorry Champ. I’m such an idiot!_

“I did the Chug on you, didn’t I? Chrysler, Dusty I’m so sorry. Really, believe me, I honestly didn’t mean to. It was just that you looked so utterly familiar and happy, and I never saw you smile like that and then I guess I just… jumped to conclusions. Sorry Champ.”

Blade felt utterly stupid. _Why didn’t I just ask him? Since when do I make assumptions without checking my facts first?_ The answer was easy: Ever since Dusty had entered his life. They stayed silent for a while, each of them caught up in their own thoughts and needing to sort themselves out.

“I’m really sorry Dusty.”

He shot the plane a small smile, testing the waters. Dusty weakly returned his smile, but it reached his eyes. At that moment Blade was nearly as relieved as he had been when Dusty had woken up after five days of being in a coma. Something in Dusty’s eyes changed, and his smile turned softer as he closed the awkward half meter they had left between them, lightly leaning on Blade’s side before lifting his still untouched can of oil.

“Heres to the truth. And to always knowing how the other one really feels.”

Blade nearly snorted at the irony of the situation but was able to keep it in last second. Instead, he draped one of his rotors over the plane’s tail, pulling him closer.

“Heres to the truth.”


	12. Warm...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're half way through! I really want to thank everybody who has left Kudos or taken the time to comment, you guys are such an inspiration! I hope everyone will keep enjoying this :)
> 
> Anyway, have fun with chapter 12!

Time flew by as autumn gradually turned into winter, the number of races rising towards the end of the competitive season. Over winter there were a few months of break, the offseason, giving the racers time to regenerate, work on their techniques and relax without the stress of the next race always looming around the corner. It was a blessing, especially for Dusty who still wasn’t quite used to the way his new life worked and on top of that, had a second career to keep in mind now. Another downside of his busy schedule was the fact that he didn’t have time to visit Blade more often and seeing how Piston Peak was always short-staffed and couldn’t spare anybody let alone their chief it was impossible for Blade to come over as well. After his little forced visit in the beginning of autumn neither of them had been able to make the time to visit so they hadn’t seen each other in months. _I miss him_. After Blade had left they had started radioing every day in the evening, telling the other about their days and simply enjoying the sound of the other’s voice. If it wasn’t for the lack of physical contact, it wouldn’t have been that different from when they were together. Dusty had gotten so used to having him around that being apart hurt, even now, months after Blade’s departure. _Absence makes the core grow fonder._

Dusty smiled ruefully, gazing out of his window at the vast landscapes glowing in the fading light of the sunset. Now that the racing season was over and he had nothing left to do and no emergencies around Propwash Junction to keep him occupied otherwise, there was nothing to distract him from his feelings and his longing. Not only did he miss Blade, but his crush had also slowly begun to develop into something more. Something that Dusty couldn’t quite place and had no name for. It made his tanks flutter and his core stutter and when he thought about it those feelings made him incredibly happy. _All thanks to you Blaze._

His horn crackled to life, indicating someone was trying to reach him. Dusty’s smile widened a fraction as the happy feelings that had become a constant presence in his life began to energetically bubble to the surface, making him giddy. _There’s only one person I know who would radio me at sundown._ Grinning the plane made his way over to the horn, answering with a smile in his voice.

“Hiya Blaze. How’re you doing? How’s your day been? Anything exciting?”

Dusty nearly had to shake his head at his childish giddiness, sure that Blade could hear it in his voice. The helicopter’s fond smile was just as audible in his answer though.

“Evening Champ. We’re all good over here, thanks. The day’s been great. Fire danger is mostly over and we’re currently off duty for once. You should have seen what the Jumpers did to the place. I swear to Chrysler, I’m never letting them watch the base again when they are unoccupied.”

Dusty could hear the amused exasperation in Blade’s voice that he knew meant that while Blade was a bit annoyed, he had taken whatever the Jumpers had done this time with good humor. He couldn’t help a chuckle of his own as Blade went on dramatically.

“I swear Champ, one of these days those five will be the end of me.”

“I don’t doubt it. They can be real devils. Although I’m pretty sure you would end them long before they ever got the chance.”

They were laughing now, losing themselves in the familiarity of hearing the other’s voice and hearing familiar stories. Dusty’s core ached a little at the thought of not being there to see it for himself and share in the happiness that always seemed to waver around the team. _I miss you guys._

“Say, Dusty, you sound a little longing there. Could it be that you miss me?”

The smirk in Blade’s voice was evident, sending his core into hammering twice its usual pace all of the sudden as a small blush crept onto his cheeks. _Yes of course I miss you, idiot! How couldn’t I?_ He coughed, not really sure what to answer to that question without lying or giving too much away. He could hear the other breathing through the horn and it sent a chill down his tail.

“Umm… Yeah, I kinda do, I mean, I miss the others too, like Windlifter and Cabbie, Patch, the Jumpers, Maru, well Dipper not really but still kinda and yes of course, I mean sure I miss you.”

_Chrysler, what am I doing?_ He nearly groaned as the desire to slam his nose into the nearest surface to stop himself from talking grew. In a desperate attempt to somehow salvage the situation he finished pretty lamely.

“I mean, I miss Piston Peak in general. How’s the park doing anyway?”

His cheeks were glowing and suddenly he was very glad for the distance between them. Blade only chuckled, something unintelligible swinging in his voice.

“I miss you too Champ.”

_Blade…_ He hadn’t expected that answer and it threw him into a loop. For a second it stayed silent between them, tension growing. It felt strangely nice, a prickling dancing through his plating as his tanks fluttered and his core hammered in his chest. Then the moment passed and Blade coughed awkwardly, continuing the conversation.

“The park is doing great, for the circumstances at least. The trees have all been replanted, both old and really young ones. And they’re taking well to their new surroundings, nearly none of them died. The park is on its best way to grow back to its former beauty.”

Dusty could picture the happy look on Blade’s face all too well. He had seen it countless times. The silent admiration for the things around him, mixed with love, adoration and a fierce protectiveness. _You look so very happy like that. It’s beautiful._ Once more he was painfully reminded that he wasn’t there to see it.

“The only problem now is that they need to survive the winter. It won’t be too hard for the bigger trees, but the little ones won’t last a day in the cold if we’re not careful. Winter break has been canceled for all of us. Which brings me to the reason I radioed. There will be a lot of work, and it’s not like we couldn’t handle it on our own, so if you don’t want to or don’t have time that’s perfectly fine. I just thought that maybe we could use an extra pair of wings and you _are_ a member of this team, so…”

_Blade, are you trying to say what I think you are? Oh please do._

“Would you like to come over for the winter season to help? If you need a reason we can just say I’m extending your training to the things we do around winter.”

Blade sounded so sure while still managing to make it sound like he feared Dusty would say no. _Oh Blade. Why do you even ask?_ The words were gradually sinking in as Dusty slowly processed what they meant. _I’m going to Piston Peak!_

“I mean you don’t have to, I just thought that maybe you-“

Dusty didn’t even let him finish, too caught up in his happiness to fully realize what was being said. He wasn’t quite able to answer, too caught up in his surprise, but a disbelieving happy chuckle escaped him, turning into a laugh. _I just never thought you’d invite me over again to actually work as part of the team._

“Are you kidding? Of course I’ll come! I wouldn’t dream of passing up an opportunity to be part of your team again. I’d be such an idiot. Thank you Blade.”

“Champ. You’re always a part of this team. Never think otherwise, you hear me?”

Blade’s tone was serious, almost too serious and the intensity of it warmed Dusty’s core.

“I know Blade.”

His voice grew soft and a small smile spread across his lips. The line stayed silent after that, but it was one of those comfortable silences that they had grown accustomed to. After a while Blade spoke up again, asking about Dusty’s day and the conversation went on from there. Over the course of the entire talk, Dusty couldn’t stop thinking. _I’m going back! Tomorrow, if I want… Tomorrow I’ll be home again._ It didn’t even surprise him that Piston Peak felt like a second home to him. After all, the saying “Home is where the core flies” didn’t come from just anywhere. After ending the radio, informing Skipper of his plans and getting some dinner, Dusty went to his sleeping mat early, nearly unable to sleep due to his excitement. When he got up the following morning the weather was great for flying and Dusty lost himself in the play of the light breeze around his plating. _It’s days like this that I see what Blade means when he says ‘wonders’. It really is a small miracle._ The leaves of the trees were colored in beautiful shades of red, yellow and orange and reminded Dusty of a warm cozy fire. He had to smile at the thought, speeding up a little to get there faster. He couldn’t wait to see them all again. Compared to the last times he flew this way he was quite a lot faster.

_No wonder, back then I was leaving something I loved behind both when I came and when I left. Now there’s only something to look forward to._

Time flew by until the familiar, albeit slightly different looking landscape came into view. Dusty’s core sped up at the sight and he flew even faster, flying the old scouting routes out of instinct. For a moment he got caught in the memories of that night where this natural beauty had turned into hell. _It looks so peaceful now… It’s different._ It almost felt like he had jumped back in time and saw the park at an earlier point in time, long before he had first come there. The Lodge alone served as a reminder that this was indeed the present. As Dusty finished his scouting tour he took a deep breath. _The air’s fresher now. Might be the fact that there are fewer fires around to pollute it._ He let his thoughts drift for a while, flying with the wind to no real destination, the purpose of his coming momentarily forgotten as he was lost in his memories.

SPLASH!

A sudden drop of icy cold water effectively pulled him out of his reverie, causing him to drop nearly twenty meters in shock before his brain caught up with what was happening. Above him, he could hear deep, rich laughter, warming his core like little else could. _Blade!_ Without saying a word he turned his uncontrolled fall into a controlled descent, aiming for the lake and scooping. If he concentrated hard enough he could make out Blade’s rotors in the distance, hovering in the same place he had been as he had made his initial drop, waiting for him. Dusty smirked. _You’ll regret not getting a head start Blaze._ Turning around and going into a steep climb he went after the other who only now started moving, his laughter still ringing through the air. Dusty knew he wasn’t really trying to escape. They hadn’t seen each other in too long for that. Dusty quickly caught up with him, circling around him for a short while to give the other a chance to try, but Blade only looked at him expectantly, not speeding up or even hinting at any elusive maneuvers. With a fond smile Dusty finally made his drop, soaking the other like he had soaked him.

“Took you long enough. What happened? Already out of shape?”

Dusty had expected an expression to match the teasing tone of voice, but as he came level with Blade again he burst into laughter at the ridiculously happy expression he found instead.

“Like you’re one to talk… You didn’t even try to escape.”

“Maybe I didn’t want to.”

His tone was still teasing, but Dusty could hear the truth ringing in it. His smile grew softer as he watched the other, the happy expression never leaving his face as he sped up again. Dusty was sure he didn’t look any better.

“I thought I’d make good on my privileges as your chief and have you all to myself for a while before the others claim you.”

“Claim me? Don’t you think you’re exaggerating a little bit?”

Dusty had to laugh as Blade’s expression turned completely serious.

“Not in the least Champ. We drew numbers.”

Dusty snorted and Blade at least had the audacity to blush, causing Dusty to laugh all the harder.

“Let me guess, you skipped the line?”

He felt delighted as his teasing tone made Blade blush harder.

“No… Well, yes, but the whole idea was stupid anyway!”

“Indeed...”

Blade’s expression turned into a small pout, making Dusty giggle. _Do you have any idea how adorable you look?_

“Not that I don’t enjoy having you all to myself Champ, but any longer and the excuse of scouting and accidentally running into you will become a bit unbelievable. And as much as they usually listen to me, you’re the point where my authority officially ends.”

He said it in good humor and Dusty was quite sure that it wasn’t actually true, but he still couldn’t help the warm feeling in his tanks at the thought that he had been missed so much.

When they reached the Air Attack he wasn’t surprised in the least to find a small party going in honor of his arrival. As it turned out, they really had drawn numbers to determine in which order they’d get to spend time with him and so Dusty found himself being swept from one group to the next. Everyone wanted to have some alone time with him even if it was only to force him through a medical check in Maru’s case. By the time it would have been Blade’s turn it was high time to head to their sleeping mats. The others, who had of course seen through Blade’s little plan, had simply agreed it wouldn’t have been fair for him to have a second turn anyway and so they had all gone to sleep. Dusty half wondered if the entire thing had been planned simply to confuse him but then again it was kind of fitting for them. He didn’t try questioning it, too happy with being back to really care. _Besides, tomorrow is another day and things are bound to go back to normal fairly quickly. I’m here to work after all._

                            A

Over the course of the following days, it began getting colder. At first, it was barely noticeable but one morning Dusty woke up finding himself covered with an extra blanket and a note telling him that he had been shivering strong enough to send the first blanket falling down and that he should get ready for his first day of work if he felt up to it. It was so unlike Blade’s usual chief persona that Dusty had believed it a prank at first, causing their little breakfast circle great joy in mocking Blade as he brought it up. To his surprise Blade had played along, seemingly in a good mood. It didn’t take long for Dusty to figure out why.

“Champ, when you’re done get to Maru and load up. We’ve got work to do.”

The expression on the helicopter’s face could only be described as elated and as Dusty hurried to finish and load up the reason was clearly evident. All around the base the first signs of frost showed, covering everything in a thin layer of ice particles, making their surroundings shimmer and glitter in the light of the rising sun like crystals. The effect only amplified when they took off, leaving Dusty with a feeling of wonder and amazement, and a newfound affection for this place that he was starting to think of as home. _It’s incredible…_

“If you think this is good, just wait until it’s actually snowing! That is a sight you will never forget.”

Blade’s excitement along with every other emotion was plainly audible in his voice. It was such a rare occurrence and Dusty loved every second of it.

“I can’t wait to see it. If you’re already elated with this you got to be over the moon for snow…”

He chuckled as Blade blushed, speeding up a little and fixing his gaze to the ground. _Cute._ Blade cleared his throat, putting on his instructor mannerism and signaling Dusty it was time to get serious. _Fine by me. I_ am _here to learn after all._ He grinned.

“So Chief, what do we have to do?”

They easily fell back into the familiar roles of trainee and trainer, Blade falling back again and keeping level with Dusty, eyes switching between the ground and him.

“With the current temperature and weather conditions, not too much. We have to water the smaller trees and make sure that they don’t freeze. Until it gets colder and snows that’s about it. Consider it target practice. And just to make it unmistakably clear: Use. Split. Load!”

There was no real malice behind the words, though Dusty could feel it in his core that Blade still wasn’t happy with what had happened back then. _I don’t hold it against you. I must have scared the shit out of you and on top of that almost got us killed. I think that warrants a small grudge._

“Copy that Blade. So just the small trees, or every newly planted one?”

“Right now the small ones are enough, their roots don’t reach too deep yet. Later on we’ll have to take care of all of them, but for now you’re good.”

It was a relatively easy task, the most challenging part being to get just the right amount of water and hit the exact spot. Though even that became easier as they completed their little route. The concentrated silence from the beginning soon eased back into amicable conversation and before they knew it, they reached the Air Attack again, tanks empty and job fulfilled.

It took about a month of ever colder getting frost and increasingly longer watering routes for the first bits of snow to fall. In the beginning, there was only light snowfall barely even covering the ground. But as the days went by and winter began to really show itself, the snowfall increased, soon leaving everything covered in a thick layer of soft white crystals. Blade had been right to say it was a sight to behold. If Dusty had thought the frost was pretty in the rays of the rising sun, the sight of the snow reflecting all the colors was nothing short of a miracle. He had taken to get up extra early just to see it, more often than not inviting Blade along as they shared quiet conversations on Blade’s cliff, marveling at the sight together. _It really is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen…_

But the snow in itself was not the only thing. Their daily scouting routes got more and more interesting as they had to start uncovering the plants from most of the snow but leave enough of it to keep it covered and therefore isolated from the outside temperatures. It was a perilous task, forcing them to fly between the trees and to slow their rotors as to not completely uncover everything. Blade, Windlifter and Cabbie usually kept out of the actual action and supervised it from above, telling their charges where exactly to go. Their rotors were simply too strong and Dusty didn’t really mind. He liked the fact that the entire team was working together again, the Jumpers helping from the ground while Dipper and he flew through the forest. It was a nice feeling to accomplish something together.

When their daily work was done Blade often snatched him away, showing him a new small wonder every day. The geyser looked just divine breaking through the ice, the frozen lake was beautifully reflecting the sky and one time they had even gone ice-gliding, resulting in one of the best days Dusty ever had. There were certain places in the forest that looked just a tad bit more sparkly and crystalline and the sight of the frozen falls would stay with him for a long time, especially with Blade’s absolutely amazed and elated expression as he had proudly shown it to him, gazing lovingly at the frozen display. In the evenings after everyone had completed their daily tasks and Dusty and Blade had returned from their wonder watching, Maru had taken to lighting a bonfire in the middle of the center of the base. They all huddled around it, shared cans of heated oil and told each other stories, dreams and memories. It was cozy, the atmosphere so familiar and comfortable and creating a warm space amidst all the cold. Dusty loved it with all of his core. And if the cold gave him an excuse to get closer to Blade he wasn’t complaining. It was on one of those evenings huddled around the fire that the first dark clouds appeared.

“We should probably get inside for a while. This one looks like it’s going to be heavy.”

Maru didn’t sound particularly worried, but no one argued as he herded them into the main hangar, lighting up the oven to replace the fire from outside. Watching the snowstorm breaking loose over them from inside was quite fascinating. Since they were relatively high up in the mountains, the snowfall was extremely dense and heavy. _Maru wasn’t kidding… This is nothing short of a storm and a big one at that._ The mass of the clouds had been gigantic, leaving no end to the storm in sight. Maru, who had been relatively at ease at first, got increasingly worried the more time passed. Windlifter had joined him at his post next to the window after a while, concern openly showing as he regarded the masses that were piling up outside. It was getting late and the storm was only getting worse. The small oven gradually wasn’t enough to counter the cold anymore and while they had all continued their cheerful chatter at first, the more time passed the quieter it got. It wasn’t like they were in any immediate danger. Unless the storm turned into a hurricane, which was highly unlikely, they were safe in the hangar. But it was slowly getting time for them to hit their sleeping mats and the storm was still raging on outside. At some point Maru just sighed, giving up his post next to the window and throwing the last of the wood into the oven.

“I’m sorry guys, but I’m afraid we’ll have to spend the night here. This storm is way too bad for us to go outside. We’re stuck.”

Dusty shivered at the words, the implications not quite sinking in yet as Blade shifted closer, pulling him under his rotors.

“Don’t worry Champ. It’ll be fine. The fire won’t be out for a while yet and if I remember correctly there are some blankets in here somewhere.”

Dusty’s shiver increased as the meaning of the words sank in. _We’re going to be sleeping here. In this cold…_ For some reason he realized, he wasn’t as well equipped to handle the cold as the others. It could be due to the fact that Propwash Junction’s winters had always been mild, or because he was a small build, or maybe because of the stress that his career choices put his body through. He didn’t know the exact reason and didn’t really care what it was. _All I know is that I’m cold._ He shivered again, shifting closer to Blade, greedily drinking in the offered body heat. _So nice… And warm…_ He had always been one for close contact, loving cuddles from his parents and close friends. But cuddling with Blade was a whole new level of comfortable. He felt safe under those rotors, basking in the warmth that the other gave off and in the warmth from within, as his core began to heat up.

“Thank you…”

It wasn’t much more than a murmur but given their close proximity, Dusty was sure Blade heard it anyway. The helicopter hummed in acknowledgment, the vibration sending pleasant shivers through Dusty’s body. _I could stay like this for a small eternity…_ The cold nearly forgotten, Dusty slowly felt the exhaustion of the day’s activities catching up to him. He was content where he was and had no intention to move anytime soon. _Falling asleep in his embrace. Sounds like heaven…_ He could feel his eyes drooping.

“Dusty?”

Blade’s voice was nothing more than a soft whisper, barely reaching through the fog of sleepiness.

“Hhm?”

He could feel the helicopter shifting, drawing away from him. The sudden rush of cold almost woke him up again, but before it could register past the initial shock of Blade abruptly leaving, the helicopter had already draped a blanket over him. Through his half-lidded eyes Dusty could see the warm smile that Blade was giving him. It warmed him up from the inside and with a smile of his own on his lips he felt himself giving away to sleep. _Warm…_

The next time Dusty woke up hours had passed. The storm was still going, rattling at the door and the windows, allowing nearly no light in. The fire in the oven had long since burned down, leaving Dusty with the chill of the cold slowly creeping through his blanket and causing him to shiver again. With longing he thought back to the warmth of Blade’s embrace, now sorely missed as the blanket did nothing to shield him from the cold. _I’m freezing…_ With his mind still drowsy from sleep Dusty slowly felt his way to the helicopter, pleasantly surprised to find him only a few meters away from him, covered by a blanket of his own. _Warm…_ Without giving it much thought Dusty slowly wrestled his way under Blade’s blanket, keeping his own tightly tucked around him as he snuggled as close as he dared. _So warm. And soft._ The warm feeling in his core that always came with being close to Blade slowly spread through his entire body, together with Blade’s body heat slowly chasing the chill away. He could feel the helicopter stirring, distantly realizing he had opened his eyes a bit, shooting him a questioning glance.

“Cold…”

It sounded like a whimper, but Dusty was too tired to really care. Blade didn’t seem to mind.

“Come here.”

And with that, he pulled Dusty close to his side with nothing but Dusty’s blanket separating them. Dusty could feel another blanket being drawn over his, amplifying the warmth that had slowly begun to seep back into him. _Blade’s…_ The rotors were back, pulling him in tight and keeping him warm, absentmindedly rubbing his sides as Dusty felt himself slowly getting sleepy again. His mind growing foggy with fatigue, he distantly realized that someone else was snuggling up to his other side, effectively sandwiching him. He didn’t care. He needed the warmth. He absentmindedly realized that Dipper was trying to pull him into her wings, distantly wondering if she was awake or subconsciously trying in her sleep. His mind came up empty-handed. The warmth began to completely engulf him, making it harder and harder to stay awake. Snuggling closer to Blade and feeling the rotors’ hold around him tighten in return, Dusty slowly let sleep overtake him, carrying him off to distant dreams of Blade and warmth. _Feels like love…_

He had never slept so happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, in case you haven't read it yet or maybe want to read it again with the context/background in mind: My oneshot 'Beautiful Christmas' is situated somewhere in this chapter :)  
> Have a great day!


	13. Subtle advances

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's some introspection on Blade's side. Hope you all like it! Enjoy :)

Blade’s core was racing, making it impossible to even think about sleeping. He couldn’t bring himself to care. _Not when Dusty is so close to me…_ The thought caused his face to heat up. It was the closest they had ever been, not counting the mine where they had been terrified and had no space to really _not_ be this close. But this time Dusty had willingly come to him. It was a show of trust, trust that Blade would keep him warm.

_Warm and safe in my embrace… Chrysler, what am I thinking… He’s just cold! But still. He came to me…_

The thought kept coming back, making him giddy and filling him with a warm happiness.

_I just hope you can’t hear my core beating right now. Wouldn’t want to wake you up for the world._

He knew that this would hardly turn into a common occurrence. As much as he wanted to exploit Dusty’s weakness to the cold, it wouldn’t be fair to the plane and just end up giving him hope that would be shattered later on.

_No, I won’t exploit this, but that doesn’t mean I can’t still enjoy it while I have it. Morning will come soon enough._

The storm outside was still going, an everlasting hum in the background. Blade found it strangely comforting, warm and happy where he was.

His thoughts kept coming back to the plane tightly tucked under his rotors. The past weeks had been pure bliss. Winter was always a beautiful thing to watch around Piston Peak but getting to see Dusty experience it all for the first time, his childlike wonder and amazement and simple joy at the beautiful sights… Blade was sure that none of them could rival his Champ’s smile. It had been wonderful to show him every wonderful little thing, and Dusty had enjoyed them all, leaving Blade absolutely happy and with a small sense of pride that he had made Dusty smile like that. Even just the memory of it made his core flutter in his chest and made it impossible not to smile. He was just really happy to have him back around, be able to see him every day and spend so much time together. He had grown accustomed to the constant buzz of his feelings at the back of his mind, welcomed them even. Every now and then he would allow himself to just bask in the way he felt and everything that came with it. The happiness, the fear, the worry and the silly streak, everything that came with being in love.

_I’ve moved beyond having a crush on him long ago. I’m not even sure if you can say I’m in love anymore. It feels like it’s not enough anymore._

Blade knew at this point, with dead certainty, that he had come to really love this plane with all that he knew of him from the bottom of his core. His feelings were filling him to the brim, almost overflowing and it was times like this where he had to bite his tongue to not let them spill out. As much as he had accepted his feelings for the plane he still didn’t think that anything would come from it.

_We’re quite different after all. We’re a different build, I’m much older than him, he knows about Nick and my past and of course there’s Ishani and…_

He cut the train of thought off before it could spiral into something destructive. He had been there often enough and it didn’t get him anywhere. The most it did was make him feel bad about himself, and that didn’t help anyone so he had taken to try and avoid such thinking. So far it had improved his life greatly.

_Self-deprecating thoughts won’t change the situation anyway. And besides, I can guess as much as I want, I won’t know what he thinks unless I ask him anyway._

The thought had come up before, now that it was evident his feelings weren’t going to go away. Not that he had ever thought they would or even wanted them to, but every time the notion came up he had violently shoved it back down into the bottom of his core. Right now he lived for moments like these, just quiet companionship, having Dusty around as a friend, no hard feelings at all.

_If I confess now I might lose all that… And I just got it back._

So he kept quiet and simply enjoyed what Dusty was willing to give. No pressure involved, no expectations that could be disappointed.

_Though a little flirting wouldn’t hurt._

The thought surprised him, sneaking his way through his defenses and hitting him without warning.

_I mean, it’s not a confession, and if he doesn’t respond I can just chalk it up to experience and move on. No lasting harm done…_ _And most importantly, it would take the edge off._

That had been the only downside to suddenly having Dusty around him again. His feelings were threatening to overflow and keeping them in was becoming harder and harder with every smile, every happy glint in Dusty’s eyes, with every minute they spent together.

_Flirting actually sounds like a pretty good idea._

And if it didn’t work Blade could always say he was gauging for his friends’ reaction or that he was just that kind of person when he was really close to someone. Because even if they never entered a relationship, they would always be close. Nearly dying and saving each others’ lives did that to you. Blade only realized that the blanket that he had drawn over himself and Dusty had slipped off when Dusty started shivering next to him. It startled him out of his thoughts, making him wonder how he hadn’t noticed.

_Was I that deep in my own head?_

It didn’t really surprise him. Love tended to make people blind. With a tender smile he picked the blanket back up and drew it over them again, resuming to rub gentle circles into the plane’s side. The repetitive motion was comforting. He could feel the plane cuddling closer in his sleep, seeking the warmth that Blade was giving off. Before his courage could desert him, Blade turned his head a little and placed a small kiss on the side of his plane’s cockpit. His lips barely grazed the plating, but his core was still racing with happiness. Then Dusty stirred, causing his core to momentarily stop in a small panic. He quickly shut his eyes, doing his best to slow down his breathing and relax so that in case he had just woken the other up he would think Blade was asleep. He felt a little dumb for doing it but he wasn’t ready to face Dusty’s reaction to things such as kisses, as light as this one had been.

_I don’t regret it though._

The thought filled him with more warmth, the memory of the other’s plating under his lips safely tucked away in his core as Blade slowly felt himself relax, only now registering just how exhausted he actually was. And as he lay there, pretending to be asleep, he slowly succumbed to slumber, not even realizing when he moved from his memories to a dream.

When he woke up, most of the others were still sound asleep. Blade couldn’t help but smile fondly at the picture of his team, cuddled up under blankets, the Jumpers crowding around Cabbie, Dusty next to him, still snuggling into his side. Not even the fact that Dipper was doing the same on Dusty’s other side could taint the perfect picture. Blade let it sink in for a while, content with just watching the rest of the team sleep. Only when he heard muttered cursing from the direction of the door did he realize that Maru was missing. Or rather, not asleep and instead fruitlessly trying to open the hangar door. Blade allowed himself a small chuckle.

_The hydraulics are probably frozen. Well, there’s no changing that until Cabbie and Wind are up, we’ll need brute force for this._

With that thought Blade sank back into the depths of the blanket, pulling Dusty close again and enjoying the other’s warmth and proximity while it lasted.

_Who knows when I’ll next get a chance to do this? If ever._

Maru seemed to have come to the same conclusion Blade had and had given up on trying to open the door. The two heavy lifters were still fast asleep and Blade knew that neither he nor Maru would risk rousing them from their slumber early. Getting lost in his thoughts again, Blade nearly missed Maru spotting him awake and rolling over but the smirk on Maru’s face was too prominent and foreboding to fully escape his notice. It left him with a small feeling of dread as the forklift reached his side, leaning onto it with a grin. Blade had almost forgotten that underneath all the gruff demeanor Maru liked physical contact as much as he did. It had been a while since they had hugged simply because they wanted to. Hugging just wasn’t the same when one of them, mostly Blade, needed the comfort.

_This is nice…_

For a few moments, Maru just leaned onto him, relaxing and soaking in the warmth and comfort of being held. Then he seemed to remember why he came in the first place, a grin plastered on his face as he slowly leaned close to Blade’s audials and began to whisper.

“You were real cute there, all huddled up together.”

Blade could feel the heat shooting into his cheeks.

_Of course Maru saw…_

“It’s been a while since we all were this calm, hasn’t it? It doesn’t happen nearly as often as it should. I mean, look at them. I haven’t seen any of you kids this happy in a long time.”

Maru paused, letting the meaning of his words sink in before continuing, his voice nearly a giggle now.

“I even took a picture of you all. I don’t know if I’ll live to ever see you all so calm again. Or happy.”

Blade gulped. He was fully aware that he must have been smiling like the oh-so-in-love-idiot that he was. By the way Maru was shooting him a pointed look he was sure that it was evident for all to see. Still, the thought of having a picture of this scene to always look at and remember sounded really nice. He couldn’t help but feel grateful towards his friend.

“Thought you’d like something like that. I even made a few extra ones of each individual. It really has been too long, for all of us. It’ll be nice to be able to look back on this. Days like these just don’t come too often.”

Blade silently agreed, the soft smile never leaving his face. Maru shared his fondness for their little team. In the end, they all did.

_You could almost say that the people in this hangar are family. We’ve been through so much together, spent so much time together… It would be weird to consider them anything but family._

The thought made him happy. He was at ease, at home, his loved ones close by and his love in his rotors. He would take it, for as long as he could. He distantly wondered what Dusty would do if he saw the picture and the way he was smiling in his sleep, but it didn’t seem that bad.

_I’d say you could count that as a subtle advance. And even if not, I would never hide from him just how happy he makes me._

“Okay, out with it. If you don’t want a cold shower you better spill what’s going on in that head of yours and you better not lie. I know that look Blade.”

Maru’s voice was still teasing, but it had a serious undertone, causing Blade to shoot the other a half-hearted glare…

_Why can’t you just ask like a normal person? I would have told you anyway._

But he didn’t say it out loud, respecting Maru’s methods for what they were: The products of constantly having to worry about him. His glare morphed back into a soft smile as he leaned onto the other, indulging him in his hugging.

“Well, I was thinking that since I’d say it’s established that my feelings for him won’t change, maybe I should try and woo him a little. You know, subtle advances, a little flirting, nothing too obvious. Just to see how he’ll react.”

Maru quietly snorted at that, causing Blade to huff indignantly.

“What?”

Maru snickered, giving him a look so disbelieving that Blade was starting to doubt his decision.

_Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. I mean, it’s kind of childish in a way and-_

“Blade…”

Maru’s quiet laughter turned hysterical as he gasped for air, leaving Blade feeling like he had missed some vital part of their conversation.

“Yes, that’s my name. What did I miss?”

“You really don’t know, do you?”

Maru didn’t sound like he could quite believe that Blade was capable of not knowing what currently made him a laughingstock. He just looked at Maru expectantly, hoping that the other would have mercy with him and explain what the hell was so funny about him planning to flirt.

“Blade, what do you think you’ve been doing ever since inviting him over for the winter you big pining mess?”

Maru was wheezing, all but rolling on the floor with muffled laughter, shaking his head at the utterly stupefied expression on Blade’s face. Together with the blush that was rapidly spreading over what felt like his entire body, he was sure he made a hilarious picture. The worst part was that to his dismay, Blade had to realize that Maru was right.

_Chrysler, I did nothing_ but _subtle advances most of the time… How in the seven skies did I not notice?!_

He was tempted to curse his treacherous core for betraying him and controlling his actions like that without him even noticing but at the same time he was a little glad. It had gotten him one of his most amazing winters so far. _And a night full of cuddling with Dusty…_ He slowly relaxed again, gradually accepting the newfound knowledge.

_Guess this will just be a part of me now. I think I like that._

In hindsight, Blade was surprised that he had been shocked by the revelation at all. His thoughts must have shown on his face because the next thing he knew was that Maru flung himself at him, pulling him into a tight hug and wiggling his eyelids.

“So you finally caught onto the drift lover boy. Took you long enough. Now go get your plane.”

Blade’s blush instantly intensified but he hugged Maru back. As obnoxious as he could be, Blade was glad for his best friend’s support. Out of nowhere, he could feel a tail bumping his own, Windlifter’s usually solemn face appearing in his field of vision soon after. His expression was still grave but his mouth hinted at a smile and his eyes glinted with a mixture of teasing and mischief that showed Blade how much fun the usually solemn heavy lifter was having with the situation.

_If me getting teased to no end is what it takes to make you all laugh, then I’ll happily lay my life bare for you to judge._

He loved seeing his team happy, even if it was at his expense.

“A hunter who first stalks his prey is more likely to succeed than the one that jumps the hunted."

The expression on his face must have been priceless as he helplessly spluttered for words. Maru started roaring with laughter again while Windlifter wore the most innocent looking smile that slowly morphed into a full grin.

_Hunter?!_

He couldn’t help a disbelieving laugh himself as the absurdity of the statement slowly began to get through to him.

_He actually made a joke…_

Maru and Windlifter were cackling in front of him and soon Blade found himself joining them, relishing the easy laughter and the happy atmosphere it promoted.

_I really must seem like an idiot to them. This whole charade is kind of silly._

He grinned to himself as his gaze swept over the plane tucked under his rotors, thankfully still peacefully asleep, and the plane next to him, trying in vain to pull Dusty into her wings. The fact that Windlifter’s saying was much more fitting for her than him, seeing how she was the one doing all the stalking while he jumped head first into this emotional mess, only added to the joke.

_I guess even the wise and old can be wrong sometimes. I think with him it’s best to just jump right in._


	14. Oh so exhilarating

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And winter continues. Hope you all like it :)

“Oh fuck, fuck, fughmhgm-“

The yelled curse effectively pulled Dusty from sleep. Before he realized what was happening he saw a blur of red zip past him and the next thing he knew was cold. His brain was only slowly catching up with what was happening. Only when Blade started cursing did he fully comprehended the situation: Cabbie and Windlifter were by the now open hangar door through which tons of snow had fallen upon being opened. Snow that would have buried Dusty alive if Blade hadn’t heroically shielded him from most of it. Blade was almost completely buried by the insane amount of snow. _Where the hell did all that come from? The blizzard can’t have been_ that _bad… Can it?_ Apparently it had been. Blade was still cursing in a variety of languages, none of his curses understandable through the thick of the snow. Dusty had to hold back a laugh at the sight. Even if it wasn’t fair at all, Blade did look utterly ridiculous buried in snow and trying with all his might to get free. The rest of the team didn’t even try. Maru was snickering by the door, Windlifter was grinning, the Jumpers were straight out laughing and even Dipper, Patch and Cabbie were chuckling. Giving up, Dusty joined in, all the while doing his best to dig his wayward chief out of his predicament. _Chrysler, you must be freezing…_ The cold was terrible, Dusty could barely stand having it on his plating for even a short while. He couldn’t imagine what it must feel like to be buried in it.

The rest of the team was still loudly enjoying the show, even going so far as to cheer them on. Much to Blade’s chagrin which he didn’t hesitate to proclaim in the form of worse and worse sounding unintelligible curses. Dusty shot them a pointed look, silently willing them to help but Maru just shook his head.

“You got yourself into this Kids, now let’s see you try and get out.”

It sounded so much like one of the many lectures Blade had given him at some point that it almost seemed absurd. Blade seemed to have come to the same conclusion and was evidently not amused. His efforts to free himself momentarily tripled until he managed to wiggle his rotors free. Then, without warning he just suddenly started his engines, resulting in the snow getting blown into all directions. Dusty yelped, jumping to the side as quickly as he could and only narrowly escaping the onslaught. The Jumpers weren’t so lucky, all trying to drive away in a mess of screeching tires that only resulted in the snow getting sprayed on all of them and in addition to that on Dipper. The other plane stood there frozen for a second before she turned and glared at the still laughing Maru. For a moment the tension was almost tangible. Then Dipper unceremoniously dropped the snow from her wings onto the forklift and it was like a switch had been flipped. Instead of annoyance, Maru’s face lit up with the thrill of a challenge and Dusty knew they were in for trouble.

“Oh, it’s on!”

Without giving any of them much time to react, Maru began throwing the snow around with his lifts in a series of movements that Dusty hadn’t thought possible for their build. _And on top of that, he can aim!_ Somehow, even covered in snow and ice Maru managed to nearly land all of his hits, resulting in everyone getting drowned in the snow and hysterically trying to get away. Blade, who was still kind of dazed from his first encounter with the white powder didn’t even try to dodge the snow thrown at him. Instead, he started his rotors again, effectively using them as a shield and attacking everybody else. The snow inside was quickly getting blown outside of the hangar as Blade took off, only meters above the ground and using the wind that his rotors created to gather ammunition. Within seconds the team followed him, small groups and teams coming together to gather their own little snow pile and get ready for the fight that would inevitably come. Dusty had never been in a snowball fight before and it almost made him nervous. _But it’s also kind of fun… And oh so exhilarating!_ Even though he hated the cold, the sudden rush of adrenaline that came with suddenly being hit was something that Dusty found he enjoyed.

“Hey Champ! You’re with me, come on! Get up here, you’re no use on the ground.”

“Sir, yes Sir!”

Dusty bowed in a mock salute before hurrying to the runway and getting airborne, all the while being heavily targeted by the other groups. Their laughter echoed through the base, making it hard for Dusty to make out any of their positions within the massive amounts of snow. Even from the air it was hard to see the grounders. They were all already covered in snow, hardly sticking out between the masses of white. They themselves on the other hand made for excellent targets, plainly visible against the sky with no chance to hide. It was firepower against visibility. Dusty watched with amazement as Blade threw himself into the game, completely absorbed in it, and was even more surprised to find himself getting more and more into it as well. _This really is fun._

“Come on Blaze! Use those rotors of yours! Just blow them all away, you’ll eventually hit someone.”

Blade snorted, mockingly directing a blast of snow towards Dusty, who only narrowly managed to scatter it with his own propeller.

“Like that?”

“Ohohoh, you wanna play that game?”

With a smirk slowly manifesting on his lips he dove down, managing to scoop snow off the ground and dumping it on the helicopter.

“How’s that then?”

To his delight Blade answered with a laugh, flying a bit closer to him with a new glint in his eyes that Dusty hadn’t seen there before.

“How about we stick to working as a team? We’re better together anyway.”

 _Oh Chrysler!_ Dusty was sure that it hadn’t been Blade’s intention, but the words still sent his core fluttering and made heat creep into his cheeks. He pointedly ignored it, blaming it on the cold. The helicopter stayed close to him though, never leaving his side as they renewed their efforts to win. What had begun as a friendly game had quickly turned into a full-on war, snow flying into all directions and hitting everyone and everything. Everyone refused to give up, choosing to fight until the bitter end. Dusty could only describe the feeling and the rush of it as elation. Even with his aversion to the cold, the constant evading and attacking kept him moving, giving him no time to dwell on the cold. That, and the pure joy on Blade’s face which made Dusty forget everything when Blade shot him that little smile. _I could stare into those eyes forever and be content._ It wasn’t the first time he had come to that conclusion, but the rush of adrenaline suddenly made everything feel so much more intense. As their little war went on and on, the first signs of exhaustion were beginning to show, causing them to let down their guard a little. It also meant they had all become easier targets, the heavy snow exchange increasing as the fight was nearing its end. Dusty was getting more and more into it.

When a sudden attack threatened to hit Blade in his blindspot Dusty acted without thinking, selflessly throwing himself in front of the helicopter to take the hit for him. The moment the icy snow hit his nose he let himself fall, overdramatically hitting the ground, fall softened by the snow that lay on it. With an especially over the top cry he cowered down, hunched over his ‘injured’ plating protectively. With an overexaggerated wail of despair, he heard Blade hitting the ground next to him, pulling him from his hunched stance and locking eyes with him, deadly certain. It took all Dusty had not to snort as he continued the charade.

"Blaze, I’m hit. I’m not going to make it.“

He could see a hint of amusement in Blade’s eyes, quickly drowned out by the overly serious expression as he caught onto the game.

“No… Champ! Don’t leave me alone!”

“You’ll have to do this on your own now. But you’ll never be alone.”

Dusty paused for dramatic effect, adding some violent coughing that would have scared him to death had it been real.

“I'll always be with you in my core."

And with an entirely too shaky long breath, Dusty let himself go limp, unable to suppress his quiet laughter anymore as Blade wailed and tried with all his might to reanimate him.

“NOOOOOOOOOOO!!! LIVE CHAMP! LIVE!”

It would have sounded quite dramatic, had it not been for the breathless laughter that interrupted his dramatic declaration.

“Don’t worry, I’ll save you!”

“Blade stop…”

Dusty was laughing so hard it began to hurt, Blade not being any better off as they kept their gazes locked. Even like this, hysterically laughing over a stupid little joke, or maybe especially like this, Dusty admired Blade. _You are so beautiful. Inside and out. I’m so glad I got to meet you._

At some point during their little performance, the rest of the team had stopped fighting in favor of watching them. Maru and Windlifter had gone to cook coffee and light a fire for all of them to warm up. They were soaking wet with melted snow and covered in ice. Now that the adrenaline from the fight was missing, Dusty immediately began shaking from the cold again, quickly huddling as close to the fire as he dared and gratefully accepting the blanket that Blade draped around his body. Even the coffee wasn’t half bad, considering that Maru had been the one to make it and with the heat of their drinks and the fire seeping into their bodies, the Piston Peak Air Attack team was slowly heating up again.

“This. was. awesome!”

The Jumpers enthusiastically agreed with Dynamite’s statement and Dusty hummed in agreement as well. _I don’t think I ever had this much fun playing with the snow. It really was great._ He could still feel the warmth of Blade’s smile whenever either of them managed to land a hit and it still made him giddy, even now in the afterglow. They stayed silent for a while, each of them calming down and quietly warming up again. It was only early morning after all and after that blizzard their daily routine of freeing the plants of excess snow was bound to be exhausting. Dusty had to smile at the thought. _I wouldn’t have it any other way._

“So, Dusty, what are your plans for when the offseason is over? It’s almost time, isn’t it?”

Dusty had to gulp at that. Dipper was right. His time at Piston Peak was, once again, limited. And even though he still had some time left, he would eventually have to leave. He saw the rest of the team eyeing him with various degrees of curiosity and frowns. Blade looked almost pained at the mentioning of his other career.

“Well, it’s not quite time yet. I still have a bit more than a month, thank Chrysler. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love racing but I just…”

He didn’t know how to put his feelings into words. _Piston Peak is home. You are family. Blade is here… As much as I love racing, I don’t want to leave all this behind!_ Still, he knew he would have to, eventually.

“So when’s your first race of the year?”

 _In other words, how long until you leave…_ Dusty hoped he only imagined the small tremor in Blade’s voice. As much as the thought of being that important to the other delighted him, he hated the thought of causing him any kind of pain. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for his answer. _It’s ridiculous, but somehow saying it out loud makes it so official…_

“First race is on February 14th. Well, technically the 13th, it’s a two-day event. But everyone calls it the ‘Valentines race’, and the main event is on the 14th, so yeah.”

 _Chrysler, I’m rambling…_ He couldn’t quite bring himself to look Blade in the eye, focusing on a sudden thought that had entered his head unbidden instead. _I wonder what it would be like to celebrate Valentine’s day with you. Going out on a date, doing something highly romantic with candlelight and deep talks. Watching the sunset, gazing at the stars, cuddling under a blanket until we fall asleep…_ He felt his core swell with silent longing. It was a fantasy he would treasure, safely hidden at the back of his mind to return to in quiet moments. _It’s a nice fantasy._

Dusty didn’t even realize that he had zoned out of the conversation until Maru nudged his side, effectively jolting him out of his daydream. He had no clue how long he hadn’t been paying attention and didn’t really know what the current topic of conversation was anymore. All he managed to get were the last words of a question Dipper hat asked, supposedly of him.

“- any plans?”

He didn’t even try to think what she might have asked him and even if he had, he wouldn’t have gotten the chance to answer. Blade’s quiet growl and death glare towards Dipper were a much more interesting response than anything he could have come up with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you think she asked? ;)


	15. Yes!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're slowly nearing the end of this (somewhat). It feels like it's nearly over even though there are still 9 more chapters...
> 
> Anyway, winter is still going. Enjoy :)

The time had flown by in no time, leaving Blade to wonder if the universe had conspired against him. _Why is it that every time Dusty is around it feels like no time passes and he suddenly has to leave again?_ He felt a little bad for being angry, they had spent more time together than ever before. _It’s been 4 months, give or take._ And yet, it felt like only a week had passed. Blade didn’t understand why. Or rather, he knew the reason but admitting it would mean accepting that every time he ever spent with Dusty would be over too soon. _Not that it ever isn’t…_ Blade sighed, watching as the plane got ready, taking his time savoring his oil.

_It is time…_

It was the February 11th, 2 days left until the Valentine’s event. The race was conveniently being held only a short distance from Piston Peak in a nearby valley. It had given them an extra day that normally Dusty would have needed to travel. _And if I’m lucky, I might even make it to the main event._ It was far from anything his core was so insistently yearning for, but it would mean spending Valentine’s day with Dusty. _What more could I want?_ The plane had finished his morning fuel and had gone to find each member of the little team to properly say goodbye. The usually cheery atmosphere was uncharacteristically subdued when he hugged them all farewell. It almost seemed like nobody wanted to believe it was a real goodbye. Even Dipper was quiet. _Then again, she’s been laying off the flirting since asking him out for Valentine’s day and being ignored._ The thought momentarily brought a small smile to Blade’s face before vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.

It was a little corebreaking, having to watch him go yet again. Logically, Blade knew that it was always going to end up like that. They were fortunate enough that Dusty had been able to stay as long as he had. But he would never give up his home to come live with them. _Chrysler, the very reason we even know him is that his home needed him. And it still does._ Shaking his head, he willed the thoughts away. _No use to make it even more painful than it already is…_ When Dusty had finished his round of goodbyes and made his way towards Blade, the helicopter suddenly felt helpless. _I don’t want you to leave…_ He felt the first tears stinging in his eyes, sucking in a sharp breath when he saw Dusty’s eyes shimmer as well. For a moment they just stood there, drowning in each other’s gaze. Then Blade couldn’t take it anymore and pulled the plane into a tight hug, pressing their bodies together so that no air was left between them. Even the thinnest piece of paper would have had trouble to fit between them now.

“Blade, you’re squeezing me…”

“Sorry.”

He just held him all the tighter. Dusty was clinging to him just as much, both refusing to let go. They both knew that once they did, it would officially be over. The racing season had started again. Dusty would leave. Blade really didn’t want to let go. Dusty felt so warm against him… But the other was slowly beginning to pull away, blue eyes never leaving Blade’s as he brought them apart just enough to look into each other’s eyes again.

“I’ll be back Blade. As soon as I can. I promise.”

The promise was nothing more than a whisper, his voice sounding strained as if the words hurt to say. In a strange way, it was comforting to know that Dusty was finding this painful as well. Blade felt his throat constrict around an answer, eyes still stinging as he finally managed to croak out the words.

“Be careful out there Dusty. And be safe.“

He took a deep breath, gathering all the strength he had as he pulled away completely. The cold, coupled with the sudden sense of loss was overwhelming. _When did I get so attached to him?_ The thought sent a small smile over Blade’s face. Not too long ago he had asked himself this exact same question. Now he knew the answer. Dusty had a small smile on his face as well, still not breaking eye contact.

“I guess it’s time to conquer the world out there.”

Blade’s smile widened at the familiar excitement in the plane’s voice. _It’s beautiful. You’re beautiful._

“Go get them Dusty. Go and show them all.”

Dusty nodded, the anticipation of what was coming clearly visible on his face. _You look happy._ Blade’s smile deepened.

“Go on.”

Dusty nodded, his smile brightening as he half turned around, gaze fixed on the mountains in the distance.

“Time to go.”

With one last look back and a small wave of his wings, Dusty rolled onto the runway. Watching him take off left a bittersweet feeling behind but Blade knew it was for the best. _He’s a racer by core. Even if he’s sad to leave, he’ll be so happy to be there. To be able to race again. I wouldn’t take that from you for the world._ So Blade watched as his colors slowly began to merge with the scenery, smile still on his lips as Dusty gradually moved out of sight. The others hadn’t stuck around to watch Dusty depart, with the exception of Patch who was up on her post in the tower. Blade assumed they had just gone on with their daily tasks without him. This year’s February was uncharacteristically warm and dry, the snow having begun to melt away already. It made their Jobs easier. As soon as the snow was gone with no new snow in sight and a steady source of water provided, Ranger Jammer had promised them all some well-deserved vacation time until they all had to be back in June. _Maybe I can go visit you sometime._ It was a nice thought to look forward to.

Seeing how his team had left him behind willingly, Blade didn’t really feel inclined to join them. He knew they were perfectly fine handling the situation themselves, especially now that the snow was melting. Instead, he grabbed himself some leftover coffee and went over to his hangar to retrieve a book. He hadn’t had time to read in quite a while, and the thought of a few hours to himself with just his book and silence for company sounded like heaven. It was his way of relaxing after a stressful situation. To his delight, the coffee was even still warm and on top of that, tasted really good. He let himself linger in the garage for a while, enjoying the beverage before refilling his can. He was just about to leave when he suddenly heard the main horn crackling with static, indicating somebody was trying to reach them. Sighing Blade set his coffee on the ground and went over to receive the radio, half praying that it wasn’t an emergency.

“Piston Peak Air Attack, this is Blade Ranger speaking.”

“Chief Ranger, hi, I am so glad I could reach you. My name is Miss Rockfelt. I’m from the Valley Forest Safekeeping Team, VFST. I’m really sorry to bother you, but you see, we have this big event coming up, the first big event of the competitive racing season for aircraft, and we were hired to supervise the safety of the event.”

She was talking in such a hurry that Blade almost had trouble understanding what she was talking about. She was clearly nervous. Blade had to hold back a laugh, too amused by the fact that the VFTS had sent a rookie of all people to get in touch with him. When a team needed help from another, and Blade was assuming that was the reason they had radioed, the acting chiefs usually got together and talked it out. If nobody of that category was available they would send someone experienced who would be able to properly convey the information and know what exactly was needed. But most certainly not a rookie. _They must be desperate…_ Apparently encouraged by him not interrupting her, the female continued a little slower, albeit evidently still nervous.

“Well and you see, Sir, to be able to do that job properly we need a certain amount of people. Unfortunately though, there was an emergency yesterday and some of us got hurt. Most of them will be fine by tomorrow, but Chief Chraster and a few other’s were damaged pretty badly, they’ll be out for a while.”

Blade could hear the other gulp and felt sympathy for her rising in his core. Team members getting hurt was always scary but as a rookie it was ten times worse, even more so if the injured one was the Chief. _I can see the predicament._

“I am sorry to hear that Miss.”

He could hear her breathing, collecting her thoughts, and he didn’t rush her. He already had a hunch where this was going and if he was being honest with himself, he wasn’t too averse to the idea.

“Thank you, Sir. I’m really sorry I am asking you this, and on such short notice as well, but you see, with Chief Chraster injured, not only are we down one member but also down one, well, chief… His second and third in command were injured as well, and nobody here has the experience required to officially lead. And I know that there are special exceptions for cases like these that would allow a less experienced firefighter to assume control for the duration of the chief’s absence, but really we’d all feel a little better with a chief who’s actually trained around. This is such a big event and so many celebrities will be there and you are the closest team I could locate.”

Blade felt his core flutter in his chest. He couldn’t quite believe his luck.

“Just to make sure I understood you right, you want me to come over and resume the position of acting chief for the duration of the Valentine’s Race?”

“Yes?”

She sounded so unsure and defeated that Blade instantly regretted asking instead of just saying yes right away. He just had to make sure.

“Alright. I’ll have to make some preparations and brief my second when he’s back, but I should be able to be there tomorrow morning. Is that soon enough?”

“Yes! I mean, of course, any time you can make it is totally fine. Thank you so much for your help. We know you’re short-staffed up there, so we really appreciate you taking the time to help.”

Her relief was almost tangible through the connection, causing Blade to chuckle in amusement. _The poor girl must have been overwhelmed. Being left alone with this kind of stuff as a rookie… Not the best kind of start you can have._

“No problem. That’s what we’re here for. Helping those in need is part of the job.”

He made sure the humorous tone was clearly audible, not wanting to upset the already distressed female any further. Simultaneously an idea formed in his head, causing the smile on his face to widen again.

“Besides, I might have a small ulterior motive. You see, a member of my team is competing. I don’t know if you’ve heard of him, Dusty Crophopper. Anyway, I kind of figured since I’m going to be there all the same I could surprise him. So could you please not tell anybody about this? Besides your team of course.”

“Yes, of course, Sir, that won’t be an issue. We’ll really mostly act in the shadows anyway, so keeping you hidden shouldn’t be a problem. Unless we’re needed of course.”

The way she said it, it was clear to Blade that she clearly was hoping that they wouldn’t be. He silently agreed with her.

“Again, thank you so much, Sir. I will see you tomorrow then?”

She still sounded like she was scared he would change his mind. _Oh dear. Was there no one else who could do this? She’s rattled enough as it is._ His pity for her rose. This really was not a situation he would wish on anybody.

“Yes, I will be there. I assume your team’s station is close by?”

“Yes, you won’t be able to miss it. It’s plain to see as soon as you enter the valley.”

“Copy that. Have a good day Miss. I hope your chief soon recovers.”

The line stayed silent for a second before the rookie answered with a wavering voice.

“So do I. Have a good day Sir.”

With that, the connection went silent, leaving Blade to stare at it in silence for a while, only now fully comprehending what this meant.

_I’m going over to the race! I’ll be able to watch him fly!_

And most importantly, the part that made his core flutter with excitement and anticipation and his tanks twist with nerves.

_I’ll be there on Valentine’s day…_

The huge grin that broke free on his face could only be described as radiant. And nothing, not even the team returning with two injured Smokejumpers because they had mistaken ice for snow and hit it at a way too high speed, could make the happiness in his core go away. And when he told the team about his plans and got an encouraging grin from Maru and a smile from Windlifter in return, Blade felt like nothing could ever take that smile away from him again.


	16. They're here...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, sorry for not replying to any comments this time, my internet was out. I replied now (though it's kind of belated).  
> To my two frequent commenters, in my reply I asked you a question. I'm kind of curious for your answer before this chapter might taint it. You don't have to answer of course, I'm just curious. (Thanks for always commenting btw, if I'm already at it. You guys really always make my day!) :)
> 
> Second, before this block of events starts (this goes for the next chapters as well), I just want to say that if there are any Ripslinger fans here reading this, please keep in mind that what is said about him is said out of somebody’s point of view and therefore tainted by their experiences and not necessarily objectively portraying Ripslinger’s actual character. If he seems bad, then that is out of somebody’s perspective of him, how they judge him and what assumptions they make based on those experiences and judgements. This doesn't mean that it can't still be true but it's also no safe guarantee that it automatically is.   
> (This might sound a bit complicated now, but it will become clear as you read.) 
> 
> Other than that, I just hope you all like it. Enjoy :)

It was the first day of the two-day event and Dusty was excited! The main event scheduled for the day was something he had been looking forward too ever since he had first heard of it. _Aircrobatics._ It was a relatively new addition to the competitive racing world, currently not a competitive sport itself but with the popularity it was getting lately Dusty was quite sure it was only a matter of time until it would be. When the sport had first caught the eye of the general public there had only been a few teams who practiced it. Even now, a bit over a year later with the sport rapidly growing teams were far and few in between. He allowed himself a small smile at the thought of the chance he had gotten. _I still can’t believe that they found a team willing to participate. And that they let us join in!_ The organization team of the Valentines race had somehow managed to get hold of an aircrobatics team and convinced them to teach any racer who wanted to some of their tricks.  Anyone who had been interested had received written instructions on the maneuvers to practice in their free time and when Dusty had tried them he had found them really enjoyable. He had practiced whenever he could ever since and yesterday had finally been the day. Everybody who would be participating in the aircrobatics show had come in a day early to get one rehearsal with everybody present. _It was so amazing. It’s like nothing you’ve ever felt before, the absolute trust when you fly in tight formations, the twists and turns and everything… It’s incredible!_   He still preferred his racing over the aircrobatics, they would be too exciting for him in the long run, but once, just to be able to chalk it up to experience and be able to be a part of something so incredible, he was glad he could do it. Of course, the fact that the show would be shown on TV was an added bonus. And chances were good that Blade would watch. _Not to brag, but I’ve seen them out there. We look beautiful when we fly like that. I want you to see it…_ He really hoped that Blade would, if only to share the memory with him. _I’m putting on my best show for you. So watch me, Blade. Don’t take your eyes off me._ He wanted Blade to cherish the memory, just like he knew he himself would.

Of course, the aircrobatics wasn’t the only event of the day. Short races of every kind were being held to officially mark the start of the season. They were non-competitive, no prizes involved with the exception for those that were being held for charity. But even for those races it didn’t matter where you placed. It was all about the fun and reestablishing what racing was really all about. Dusty loved these opening events. _Racing is at its best when the pressure to win isn’t there. When you’re doing it for your own ambitions alone. It’s how it always should be._ He knew that just wasn’t how competitive sports worked but when he got a chance to experience them like that, he savored it to the very last moment.

“All racers for the short race competition class A, please proceed to the registration desk to draw your starting position.”

Dusty’s smile widened, the familiar anticipation rising in his tanks as he made his way over to the registration desk. _This is it. This is what I’ve been fighting for all my life._ He drew a number, handing it to the volunteer behind the desk to jot down.

“Dusty Crophopper, starting position 4. Please proceed to the runway.”

Dusty grinned, the anticipation being replaced by excitement and that special happiness that only racing and Blade could give him. _Let the games begin!_ As he found his spot on the runway and waited for the rest of the contestants he let his thoughts drift off to Piston Peak. _I wonder what they’re all doing now. Dipper is probably doing her best to be able to watch as much as she can get from this. Patch too.  Sometimes it’s so easy to forget that they’re still fangirling me._ His smile softened at the thought as he realized once more just how much he considered them all family by now.

He would have almost missed the other racers taking their places altogether, had it not been for two all too familiar voices that to this day chilled him to the bone. His gaze, which had been focused on the clouds in the sky instantly snapped to the two planes in front of him, core racing as he looked for starting number 3 and 2. _No…_ There they were in all their poisonous glory, right in front of him, not even sparing him a glance. Dusty felt panic rapidly rising in his tanks, rendering him unable to move. All he could do was stare in dread at the two planes that he had prayed to never have to see again. Logically he had known that he would have to run into them again sooner or later, but seeing them here, now, close enough to harm him in a second was terrifying.

“Ah, Ned, Zed, I see you got the good numbers. Excellent.”

The voice was cold, almost snarling. The devilish grin in it was clearly audible and the moment he heard it, Dusty wanted to flee. _Ripslinger…_ His breath hitched, tangling in his throat and making it hard to breathe as the panic accumulated. _They’re here…_

“Racers, take your positions!”

_All three of them…_

“Get ready! Set!”

_They’re going to kill me!_

“Go!”

Both his long-trained racing and his survival instincts kicked in and he took off like an arrow, completely disregarding anyone or anything in his path. He still had the mind to ensure he wouldn’t endanger anybody but the majority of his mind was focused on getting away. Getting away from the planes that had tried to kill him once and he was sure would try again without batting an eye. He didn’t pay any mind to those around him, his sole focus on surviving the race and getting away as soon as possible the moment his wheels touched the ground. Behind him, he could hear somebody coming closer, consistently staying on his tail even as he went into a climb. _He’s following me!_ His panic was rapidly rising, core hammering in his chest as he very nearly shut off his rotors, letting himself drop dead from the air and only starting them up again just before hitting the ground. He instantly threw himself into a few barrel rolls to evade his persecutor, rapidly gaining speed again and throwing himself into any evasive maneuver he could remember until suddenly he felt himself losing control midspan. His speed was too great for the delicate maneuver as he spiraled towards the ground, helpless and with too much momentum to regain control. _I’m going to die, I’m going to die, I’m going to die!_ All rational thought had left his head, leaving only fear and terror as the first panicked tears escaped him. He could see the ground approaching through his blurred vision and closed his eyes as tried to steel himself for the impact.

BANG!

His wings collided with a rough surface, forcing him into an upright position again. The moment his momentum stopped keeping him from restarting his engines, Dusty’s propeller turned on instinctively. His eyes snapped open, he clearly hadn’t hit the ground.

“Careful there, Crophopper. Wouldn’t want you dying untimely in an accident, now would we?”

The surface his wings had been resting on disappeared, and to his horror Dusty realized that it had been Ned and Zed’s wings. _They caught me…_ His fluids turned to ice. _‘Wouldn’t want you to die in an accident…’_

It was too much. He couldn’t remember ever flying this fast, not even during the great fire at Piston Peak. _They say when you fight for your life, you’re capable of doing extraordinary things._ He paid no heed to the other racers, zipping past them in a blur of colors and wind. He didn’t even realize where he was going anymore, relying on his instincts to get him to the ground safely. _All I have to do is get to the ground. I’ll be safe there._ If he kept telling himself that, maybe it would eventually become the truth.

When his wheels touched the ground he didn’t remember how he got there. He distantly registered the cheering of the crowd, heard somebody announce something over the speakers, but the meaning of the words was lost to him, unable to hear anything through the white noise in his head. He felt himself being pulled away, being congratulated for winning. He was too distraught to care, he just wanted to get away and hide until the aircrobatics show later in the day where he’d have to come out again. He didn’t hear anything being said to him, tuning it all out as Ned and Zed’s words repeated in his head over and over again.

_‘Die in an accident’_

                                


**Blade’s POV**

Over the course of the first day of the event, Blade had been busy nearly nonstop. Being the chief was always a bit taxing but being the chief of a crew you only knew for a few hours, being spread thin to supervise an event as big as this one felt impossible. He distantly wondered why he had agreed to do this, only to remember every time something related to racing got announced over the speakers. He hadn’t had time to watch any of the races, too busy coordinating and supervising what should have been a job for 60 people, maybe more, but certainly not just 10. It had been exhausting to work for ten hours straight without so much as a break but the moment Blade had heard what the events planned for the day were and who the respective participants were, Blade knew he was going to need all his break time at once. _Aircrobatics. I hope it’s as good as you make it out to be Champ._ But the thought of seeing Dusty up there, majestically flying in tight formation… _It’ll all be worth it. I’m sure you’re going to look absolutely stunning._

Being an active onsite meant staying close to his post so that in case of an emergency he would still be able to do his job. Blade had been lucky enough to get the post near the field that the aircrobatics show would be held on. He had to stay in the back row, but at least he could get close enough to watch it. He could feel his core speed up in anticipation of what he was about to see. He had heard of the sport but never before had he seen it. All he knew was that it was said to be magnificent. _I can’t wait to see you out there._ The smile that the thought of being able to see him had brought onto his face had been present the entire day, even during the most tiring portions of coordinating the search for a lost child. _No matter how exhausting it is, I’m glad I get to be here. I’m so happy I get to see this._

The speakers crackled to life, announcing the beginning of the show and introducing each participant individually. Upon hearing their name, the aircraft shot out from seemingly nowhere, expertly hidden away in places nobody could see until it was their turn. Upon being called on stage, every member flew a small maneuver, just for themselves. No maneuver was like the other, they looked too personalized for that, enhancing the aircrafts’ strengths and showing their abilities. Blade impatiently waited for Dusty’s name to be called, completely forgetting to cheer him on when it finally did. Dusty was polished and had the logo of the aircrobatics team painted on his wingtips. He flew a mix of his signature move, the radial-G, and what looked like upside-down scooping. Blade was immediately enthralled. When all members of the team had been called on stage they suddenly zipped into formation, almost like being drawn to each other by an invisible force, wings nearly touching as they all went into a steep climb, barrel rolling into two different reactions, all completely synchronized. _Incredible…_ From there, they let themselves drop dead, only restarting their engines meters above the ground and flying through each other’s paths, each following a way that only they could see, never colliding, but coming really close. Blade watched with amazement as they turned, flew, dropped and maneuvered around each other with practiced ease. _It looks so easy, almost effortless. You’d almost think they wouldn’t all crash if one of them made a mistake._ And yet, the risk of it all going horribly wrong was exactly what caused the thrill of it, made his core stop every time they came too close. _It’s so incredibly beautiful to watch… How come you never showed me any of this before Dusty?_

By the time Blade was able to overcome his initial amazement and awe to focus his attention on Dusty, the show was halfway over. Dusty had always been at the end of the formation, his face hidden from the crowd by the tail of the plane in front of him. Blade sobered up a little, his full attention snapping to Dusty. _Something isn’t right._ Dusty had been talking of this show so often ever since initially mentioning this event. He had always been so full of joy and anticipation. _How come you’re not radiating happiness out there?_ Even without being able to see his face Blade could tell that Dusty wasn’t nearly as enthusiastic now as he had been before when he had talked about it. He executed his movements with such precision that it seemed almost cold, mechanical, but certainly not like the warm and happy plane he had come to love. The next time they all flew apart Blade tried to get a glimpse of Dusty’s face, core nearly stopping when he did. Dusty’s facial expression could only be described as dead. _Chrysler… What happened Dusty?_ Blade had to fight all his instincts to not immediately take off and pull the plane to the ground and into a tight hug. He wanted to shield the other from whatever it was that was troubling him enough to take his love for flying away from him. _Because that’s what this is… Somebody took that joy from you._

For the rest of the show Blade’s mind furiously went through anything that could have possibly caused his Champ to have that dead look in his eyes. His eyes never left Dusty, following his every move. His concern only rose with every new aspect of his flying he spotted that was so fundamentally different from the cheerful, happy way that he normally flew. Blade was honestly surprised that he was able to pull off the maneuvers with the precision he did. He looked like his head wasn’t in his performance at all. Frankly, it was quite disconcerting. _And yet, even like this, you’re still amazing… Chrysler…_ He wanted to hold the other so badly, his core yearning to comfort the plane of his affection, to pull him into his rotors and never let go, shielding him from the world and keeping him safe. It felt like forever until the planes went into an arrowlike formation, doing one last complicated dropping twist and then, finally, dispersing. The speaker announced all the names again, giving them time to bow and for the audience to cheer. Blade absentmindedly cheered along, already forming a plan in his head how to avoid his duties just a little longer to be able to at least talk to Dusty, but the moment the cheering died down and the planes made to leave Dusty zipped past them, disappearing out of sight before Blade could so much as call out to him. For a moment he was tempted to just radio him and ask him what was wrong but before he could make a decision his radio buzzed to live, the rookie from before almost yelling at him in panic over something that had happened at the booths.

With a sigh of regret, Blade lifted off to head for the area the rookie was at. _I hope you’ll be alright until I have my next break._ He knew that that wouldn’t be for another few hours so he just really hoped that whatever it was that had placed that look on Dusty’s face turned out to be something trivial. _Or at least something fixable_. His gaze went towards the distance, worriedly taking notice of the dark clouds headed their way that were shadowing the sunset.

_Looks like a storm is coming…_


	17. I'm not leaving without you!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are again, the next chapter and we're slowly but steadily approaching the end.   
> Hope you all like it! Enjoy :)

The moment the cheering of the crowd died down Dusty fled. Away from the crowd, away from potentially dangerous situations, just away from everything. A small part of him knew that he was probably overreacting but at the same time a much bigger part of him yelled at him to hide from the danger that was out there trying to kill him. He didn’t feel like taking any chances. The only problem was that dodging the general public at a very public race was nearly impossible, especially when you were famous and had fans lurking around every corner chasing you around. Dusty felt like he was constantly on the edge of another panic attack, nearly freezing every time he saw something looking even remotely like his persecutors did. _Why do the hangars have to be at the other end of the valley?_ He cursed the fact that he had gotten the hangar furthest away, right at a cliff towering over a forest. When he finally reached the VIP section secluded for racers he was met by a worried Skipper. He didn’t look happy at all and Dusty knew he wanted to know what had happened. _I’m sorry Skip, I can’t… I won’t drag you into this again._ He tried his best to put on a cheery face and smile like he would have if things hadn’t gone so horribly wrong. He knew it must have looked incredibly forced. Skipper’s gaze immediately hardened.

“Dusty-“

“I’m okay Skipper. Just tired. The combination of racing and aircrobatics was a bit much.”

He felt terrible for lying, but if he wanted to get away he had to brush Skipper off. To his surprise Skipper’s gaze softened as the other plane smiled at him, almost looking relieved.

“Alright Dusty. Make sure you get some rest for tomorrow. You don’t look so good, you almost had me worried there.”

Dusty immediately felt guilty for lying to him and simultaneously wished he could talk about his fear, if only to feel a bit safer and not entirely paranoid. But he couldn’t. _I’m so sorry. I promise, if I’m still safe and unharmed by this time tomorrow I’ll apologize and let you chew me out for overreacting like this._ He really hoped it would come to that.

When he reached his hangar he immediately locked the door behind him and shut the windows, closing the blinds and isolating himself from the outside world as best as he could. He even locked away the cans of oil that had been delivered to his hangar sometime earlier in the day, just to be sure. He felt increasingly stupid with every safety measure he took and he hated himself for feeling the need to apply them in the first place. _Correction. I hate them for making the necessity exist at all._ But hating him didn’t change anything so Dusty was stuck in his state of near panic, huddling up in the darkest corner of his hangar and hidden behind a few shelves. _Hopefully out of sight._ Huddled up like that, his adrenaline slowly left his body. He almost wished it back, at least the fear hadn’t been as prominent then as it was now. It was exhausting to keep up with and Dusty slowly felt the exhaustion of the day’s activities and the emotional stress take their toll on him. And even though he tried his best to fend it off, sleep eventually overtook him, pulling him in and drowning him in uneasy dreams.

He woke up to incredible heat surrounding him, eyes flying open and instincts immediately kicking in as he took in the scene before him. His hangar was engulfed in flames, the walls burning completely and the roof rapidly being devoured as well. _The door!_ It nearly took all his strength to move the shelves that had fallen over, hissing in pain when his plating touched the scalding hot metal. _Ignore the pain! Focus on getting out!_ If he had learned one thing during his time at Piston Peak it was that firefighters just didn’t get to give up. _It’s not an option._ Smoke was rapidly filling up what little air was still left in the hangar, making it incredibly hard to breathe and even harder to see. By sheer luck he managed to find his way to the door, pulling on it to open it up. The moment his mouth touched the door he screamed, the metal was hot and burning with acid. _The hydraulics…_ The fire had eaten through the hydraulics of the door, rendering it unable to move and soaked in the spilled fluids. The smoke and the heat had tipped off a chemical reaction with them that had turned the former hydraulic liquid into something corrosive. _There is no way out…_ He felt his calm rapidly leaving him, this was something that he had never been trained for and had no idea how to handle! _Why did I have to lock the damn door?! Maybe if I hadn’t I could still open the door by force._ It was too late now, without hydraulic fluid the lock was no good. It had all melted into an unusable burning mess. He was trapped and there was no way out. Dusty could feel the heat around him intensifying, could hardly breathe through the smoke that made his eyes sting. Or maybe it was his despair. _Blade…_ At a loss for better options, Dusty threw himself at the door to try and open it by force after all. All it did was make him scream in pain upon impact, causing him to break into small sobs as the acid burned through his plating. It hurt.

“Help…”

It was no use. Nobody was going to hear him. The hangars were soundproof and on top of that secluded out of earshot to give each racer the maximum amount of privacy. His sobbing turned hysterical as he watched the flames close in on him, taking over the ceiling and leaving him the center of a fireball, engulfed in flames and smoke. _Blade…_ The thought of the other hurt, now that he knew he would never see him again. _I didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye, tell him all the things I never had the courage to say before._ He felt the first tears fall as he frantically wrecked his brain to find a solution, his despair only rising with every possibility he had to abandon. _There’s just no escape._

“Blade…”

Regret swarmed over him as he remembered all the opportunities where he had missed his chance. Now they were gone, lost to the past and he would not get a new one. Before him, parts of the center ceiling structure collapsed and he screamed.

“BLADE!”

“Champ?!”

For one second Dusty thought he was hallucinating due to the smoke or exhaustion or maybe because he was dying. Then he heard him again, worry clearly audible in his voice. _You never worry…_

“Dusty? What happened, what’s wrong?”

Upon hearing him again it clicked in his head. Somehow, in the midst of his panic, he had radioed Blade, his core taking over his actions and instincts. The calm and steady voice in his audials calmed him, if only a little bit. For one moment he felt like he was able to breathe again, only for the panic to come back full force when something collapsed behind him in the smoke, causing him to scream again.

“HELP!”

He could feel the flames beginning to lick up his plating, burning him with no way for him to get away. _It hurts so much…_ He didn’t even try to suppress his sobs that were violently shaking his body along with the coughs that inhaling the smoke provoked.

“Okay Dusty, stay calm. Talk to me. Where are you? What happened?”

Dusty knew that tone of voice, had heard Blade use it a thousand times. It was the calm and collected voice of a chief that had already seen too much. He almost wished he didn’t know him well enough to see right past it. But he could clearly hear the fear, the worry, the strain. _You’re just as scared as I am…_ It terrified him.

“My hangar-“

A fit off coughs violently cut him off mid-sentence, burning his throat and making it hard to keep talking. The smoke was slowly getting to his filters.

“Fire…”

He barely managed to croak out the one word that was most important at the moment before getting interrupted again, the coughing getting more and more violent. On the other end of the line he could hear Blade curse.

“I’m almost there Dusty. Can you make it out on your own?”

He could only cough as an answer, but it was enough. Blade was violently swearing, the profanities getting worse with every second that passed with Dusty in danger. On a strange level it managed to soothe Dusty, giving him a tentative hope that maybe he wasn’t going to die. _Just hold on a little longer…_

"Okay Dusty, I see you.”

Another part of the building collapsed, parts of it scorching his nose. He didn’t have the energy for more than a whimper. _Hurry…_

“The door is beyond hope, but the roof is not completely gone yet. Try to stay away from the middle."

He tried to move out of the way, only to realize that more of the structure had collapsed, effectively trapping him in place.

“Can’t.”

It hurt to speak, more tears streaming down his cheeks with every new thing going wrong as he slowly began to lose hope. Taking whatever strength he had left he put everything he had into steeling himself for what he knew was coming.

"Okay Champ. Don't panic, we’ve got this. Just stay where you are. I’ll be careful."

It wasn’t much, but in a way, this was just another order from his chief, just another fire he had to fight. He latched onto it like a lifeline.  _Just follow his orders, everything is going to be okay. He knows what he’s doing. I can do this!_

Above him, he could hear the sizzling of rapidly cooling metal. _A drop._ It did little to quell the ever-growing monster that was currently devouring him. Then he heard a banging sound above him, the ceiling cracking and debris falling down on him. Dusty screamed, panic battling with his newfound professionalism that he was clinging to with everything he had.

"It's okay Dusty. It's me. Listen."

BANG!

BANG!

Blade’s voice was accompanied by the banging sound increasing, the cracks in the ceiling widening by the second.

BANG!

His voice sounded strained, tight, almost like he was in pain. _Blade…_ Dusty gulped.

"This won't be easy, but there's no other way to get you out. I'll break a hole in the ceiling and use my hoist to lift you up. Start your engine on my mark and be ready for a rough takeoff!"

_Wait, what?!_ He wanted to scream at Blade that there was no way this would work, that they would both end up dying at this rate, he wanted to shout at him to stop. No sound left his throat, sore from smoke and ashes and tight with fear. _You’re crazy…_

“You can do this Dusty. I believe in you.”

Dusty felt fresh tears trickling down his face, doing his best to suppress his panic and stay calm. _This is just another order, focus!_ But it wasn’t enough anymore. _Concentrate…_ At this point, he really was just trying to think about something, anything other than what they were about to do. Above him, the ceiling collapsed.

“NOW!”

Dusty fired up his engine, core racing, panic filling him up to the brim as the debris hit him, aggravating his wounds but by some miracle not injuring him any further. He didn’t have time to really take notice of his luck as he felt Blade’s hoist hitting his tail out of nowhere, wrapping around it, pulling tight and beginning to lift him from the ground. Above him he could hear the whirr of Blade’s rotors and his strained groans as he did his best to get Dusty above the fire. The moment he got pulled through the hole in the ceiling, out of the smoke and into fresh air, he felt like he would faint from the amount of pure oxygen that suddenly hit him. Breathing had never felt so wonderful before, the air tasting fresh and sweet and like nothing Dusty had ever experienced before. A storm was raging outside, the strong winds fueling the flames and making them grow at incredible speed. It was such a stark contrast to his hangar that for a moment he wondered if he had fainted and died. It felt too good to be true.

A sharp pull on his tail jolted him out of his half dazed, oxygen-induced haze and brought him back to the harsh reality of him hanging only meters above the burning building. His gaze instantly shot up to Blade, looking for reassurance and immediately sobering at the sight of the helicopter’s scrunched up, pained expression. _You’re hurting… I’m hurting you!_ The thought felt like a punch into his tanks but there was nothing he could do. He was suspended in the air, his propeller spinning but not getting any momentum to create lift. _You can’t keep this up Blade. At this rate, we’ll crash!_ But instead of sinking lower, he felt himself being lifted higher, pulled into slowly growing circles around Blade who was spinning in place, groaning in pain together with his rotors screeching. _This can’t be healthy!_ But it was working. The centrifugal forces that Blade was creating and the winds of the storm were creating the lift he needed. He could slowly feel himself flying more and more by himself, gaining speed in his orbit around Blade. _Like the moon around the sun…_ At this point he could unmistakably hear Blade’s engine protesting, the pain evident in his entire posture and Dusty did his best to end it. It felt like forever until finally, finally he felt that he was pulling Blade instead of Blade pulling him. In reality, it couldn’t have been more than two minutes but to Dusty it had felt like an eternity of anguish. _It’s over… We’re safe. I’m flying!_ He could feel Blade’s hoist release his tail and by sheer laws of physics he shot away, away from the danger, away from the pain. _You saved me!_

His entire body was running of fumes, pushed by the adrenaline coursing through him as he tried to calm his racing core. He’d almost succeeded when a terrified scream made his fluids run cold and his core stop dead. _Blade!_ He spun around as fast as he could, nearly losing control of his flight in the process as he frantically searched the sky for his chief, horror scenarios of the other having gotten too close to the flames, getting hurt or crashing already forming in his head. When he finally saw him he nearly crashed from the shock. Blade was hovering not even two meters above the hangar, flames licking up his body as he desperately pulled on his hoist. With rising terror, Dusty realized what had happened. _It’s caught in the debris…_ And with the way Blade was pulling with all his strength and not budging at all there was no way to get it free.

“GO!”

He could see the tears glistening in Blade’s eyes as he hung frozen in the air. _No…_

“SAVE YOURSELF YOU IDIOT!”

Blade’s despair, the pain in his voice that was broken by his sobs hit Dusty like a gunshot. Feeling his own tears fall, he made his decision.

_I’m not giving up on you!_

Ignoring all sense of logic Dusty sped up, going as fast as he could as he headed straight for Blade, aiming right for the flames.

“Dusty, No!”

Blade’s voice broke, tears glistening in the flames as their eyes met, full of fear. Dusty gulped, pushing his fear to the bottom of his core before drawing one last deep breath.

“I’m not leaving without you.”

It was a statement, almost calmly spoken. His eyes narrowed as he zeroed in on the gap between the gaping roof and Blade, the hoist shining in the light of the fire. The flames were rapidly approaching, he could already feel the heat on his plating and nearly hissed as he was painfully reminded of his own wounds. Gritting his teeth, he fought past the pain and threw himself into the flames, navigating through the gap between the roof and Blade, tilting his propeller and steeling himself for the impact.

The moment his propeller hit the hoist, time seemed to stop. He could almost feel how the blades cut through the steel in slow motion, severing the strings one by one. He felt his wingtips scratching Blade’s underside, could hear him hiss in pain. And suddenly time was back, second after terrible second rushing by as Dusty felt the last string rip, the hoist snapping in two and hitting Dusty’s face with an incredible force. He screamed, could hear Blade shout amidst all the pain as he desperately tried to get away, only to realize in horror that the severed hoist had gotten tangled in his propeller, pulling Blade with him to their doom. The winds of the storm had latched onto them, carrying them, giving them extra speed and pulling at Dusty as he desperately tried to untangle his rotor without it stopping. He shot over the edge off the cliff, pulling Blade with him and just when he thought he could still bring them to the ground safely, he felt his propeller give out. He could feel himself losing lift, the weight of Blade only pulling him down further as they were spiraling towards the forest below.  Their screams were deafening as he desperately tried to glide on the winds, find a way, any way to stay airborne but they didn’t stand a chance. He couldn’t tell where his screaming stopped and Blade’s began, spinning around each other, unable to tell the ground from the sky anymore. He felt sick, core hammering in his chest and tears streaming down his face.

_We’re going to die._

By some miracle the winds were still somehow carrying them, breaking their fall at least a little bit. But in the end, when they hit the trees and crashed through the branches that tore through his plating like paper, the pain was all the same. It felt like being ripped apart. Somewhere amidst the blinding pain the screaming suddenly got quieter. His brain was too muddled by pain to realize what it meant. When he struck the ground it vibrated with the impact and for one blissful second, the earth was cool against his burned plating. Then, the world went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did anyone expect that?


	18. I'm here

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's the next one! Hope you liked my little cliffhanger last chapter;)  
> Enjoy :)

The first thing Dusty felt as he slowly began to regain awareness was a numb pain, gradually intensifying the more he awoke. His breathing was shallow, and any attempt to draw in any more air was met with excruciating pain. His right wing hurt like nothing he had ever felt before and if he’d still had the energy, he would have screamed. It was all too much, the pain making it nearly impossible to think straight as he tried to remember where he was. _What… happened?_ Everything was slow, like an old computer taking ages to reboot. Then the memories hit him, the panic returning at full force, drawing a mangled scream from him. _The fire, the hoist, the storm, the danger, Blade!_ His eyes snapped open, the sight before him only fueling his panic as he took in the crash-site. All around him were damaged trees, freshly torn off branches scattered on the ground and glistening fluids everywhere. _My fluids…_ He felt the fluids in his lines turn to ice, shaking uncontrollably as another thought entered his head that made his breathing quicken to the point he was hyperventilating.

_Where’s Blade?_

Tears began to fall before he even realized, silent sobs shaking him as he curled in on himself, hissing in pain as he tore open a wound.

“Blade…”

He sobbed harder, the constant shaking widening the gap in his wing to the point he could feel his fluids run down his entire body, wrenching a silent scream from his lips.

“Where the heck are you?”

He could feel himself getting dizzy, the pain slowly becoming too much to handle. Dusty whimpered.

“I could really, really use your help right now.”

_Please…_ He felt cold, his strength rapidly leaving him as even his survival instincts gave up. His eyelids felt heavy. _I’m just going to rest my eyes… Make the pain stop… Just for a little-_

“Champ?”

He distantly heard the sounds of wheels against the ground, rolling towards him, his eyes falling shut before he could see where they were.

“DUSTY!”

_Tired…_

“Hey! Open your eyes, look at me! Don’t fall asleep, you hear me? Don’t you dare fall asleep!”

_The voice sounded familiar. Nice… Almost like-_

Dusty’s eyes flew open, core racing in his chest as he sobbed with relief, throwing himself at the other and pressing as close as he could, ignoring the pain and shaking uncontrollably.

“Blade…”

He had never been so happy to see the other before him. His voice was nothing more than a whimper but Blade must have heard him anyway because he immediately draped his rotors over him, hugging Dusty close. 

“I’m here Champ. I’m here…”

Dusty sobbed all the harder, clinging to Blade like he would vanish any minute. _Don’t leave…_

“Sshhhh…”

He could feel Blade’s rotors carefully rubbing circles into his side, calming his hitched breathing and helping his sobs quiet down.

“You’re not alone Dusty. We’re going to be okay.”

Blade’s voice sounded hoarse and Dusty could feel something wet hit his head. _You’re crying…_

“It’ll be alright.”

Dusty ignored the small tremor in Blade’s voice, forcing himself to focus on the calm instead. Blade kept on cooing quietly, whispering sweet nothings and reassurances into his audials, his rotors never stopping their administrations to Dusty’s side. After a few minutes, or had it been hours, Dusty gradually managed to calm down, only shaken by the occasional sob still wrenching past his lips. They stayed like that for a little while, holding each other and taking time to just breathe. However, the moment Blade moved to put some distance between them, Dusty’s panic resurfaced. He all but threw himself at the helicopter, clinging to him as best as he could and screaming when his wounds widened in the process. He could feel Blade freezing instantly before the other moved away from him, leaving him freezing in the cold and shaking with the blinding pain. For one moment, he could see a flash of fear in Blade’s eyes, scaring him to no end. He didn’t dare meet his eyes until Blade tipped up his chin, expression calm again and eyes soothing. He chose to ignore the pain he could see behind it, clinging to the physical contact and the soft expression. Through his haze of pain and fear, it promoted a sense of safety that he refused to give up. Blade’s voice was calm as he lightly rubbed Dusty’s nose with his own.

“Listen Dusty. That wound on your wing can’t stay open. You’re losing too many fluids, and some of the others look bad as well.”

With their close proximity, Dusty could hear him gulp and he knew that Blade didn’t like what he was going to say next.

"I have an emergency kit in my hoist compartment. It’s not much, but it’ll be enough to close the worst of your wounds for the time being and keep your fluids where they belong. I’m going to need you to get it and give it to me. Can you do that for me Dusty?"

Dusty, groaned. Moving even a little bit hurt so much. It forced the tears back into his eyes but he refused to let them fall, fighting past the pain and struggling to reach into Blade’s hoist compartment. All the while the helicopter was cooing words of praise, urging him on as he slowly grabbed the emergency kit with his mouth, crying out as his wound opened further and slumping back in exhaustion. Since he hadn’t fueled since before his race, his energy levels were dangerously low, leaving him with almost no energy to even stay awake, let alone move again. He let himself slump to the ground, letting out a pleading whimper and Blade understood, carefully extracting himself from the hug and moving in front of Dusty, gently taking the emergency kit from his mouth. Their lips brushed for the fraction of a second as Blade grabbed the kit with his own mouth, and the resulting adrenaline that was shooting through his body was enough for him to push past the incredible pain and stay awake a little longer, eyes fixed on Blade’s icy blues. He could see the hesitation in them as he slowly opened the kit and got out a torch, temporary welding patches and spare plating.

“This is going to hurt Dusty.”

He could see the pain in Blade’s eyes as he came closer, lifting the torch to the cleft in his wing. Dusty didn’t have the energy to feel scared anymore. _It can’t be any worse than the pain is now…_ He watched Blade gently placing the spare plating on his wounded wing, hissing when it touched him but gritting his teeth to keep in any further noises. Blade would need all the concentration he could get if he were to fix this, he didn’t need him screaming and writhing in pain. Blade positioned himself, tongue on the switch of the torch as his gaze met Dusty’s one last time. He could see the hesitation in them, asking him for permission to proceed. Taking one last deep breath, Dusty steeled himself and nodded.

The pain was worse than anything he could have ever imagined, worse than all his wounds multiplied by ten. He could barely stay awake through it, desperately focusing on Blade as he screamed, louder than he ever had. _Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop, make it stop!_ He could see Blade all but flinch as his scream turned into a pained cry, tears streaming down his face as he desperately tried to keep his sobs in, knowing that the shaking they brought would cause Blade to damage him further. Even through his tears and without having eye contact, Dusty could see the incredible pain in Blade’s eyes as the helicopter worked. It felt like forever, the pain piling to an unbearable amount of agony until Dusty was all but delirious. He didn’t even notice Blade finish and pulling him into a gentle hug, rotors caressing his sides again and cooing praise into his ear. It felt like forever until the scalding pain finally dulled to a burning throb. In comparison to the pain he had just gone through, it felt like heaven to him.

Dusty slowly let himself lean against Blade as the intangible murmur slowly became words he could actually understand, the pain induced haze slowly lifting and allowing him to think clearly again.

“I’m so, so sorry Dusty… You’ve done so well, it’s over now. Everything will be alright, just hold on a little longer… Talk to me…”

“I’m here Blade…”

His voice was hoarse from all the screaming and the ashes he had breathed in but Blade looked like he had never heard a more beautiful sound.

“Oh thank Chrysler…”

He could see the tears in Blade’s eyes, threatening to fall as the other tightened his hug, pulling Dusty closer to him.

“Thank Chrysler you’re okay.”

Dusty could feel the tears falling on him and tightened the embrace in return.

“I’m okay thanks to you Blade. Thank you.”

He could feel Blade shake his head, his crying slowly subsiding as he relaxed a little. Mimicking the movements of Blade’s rotors, Dusty began rubbing soothing circles into Blade’s side with his uninjured wing, trying his best to comfort the other. He distantly noticed that Blade’s outside plating was black with grime and torn at places. He couldn’t see any fluids, but the sight still worried him. _Wouldn’t put it past you to ignore your own injuries to try and treat mine._ The thought left a bittersweet aftertaste and he gently let his wingtip graze one of the wounds. When he felt Blade stiffen he couldn’t suppress a frown. _Of course…_

“You’re hurt.”

It wasn’t a question and Blade didn’t deny it. Instead, his expression turned grim, causing Dusty’s worry to grow.

“It’s nothing vital. Just all the important parts.”

He could hear the bitterness in Blade’s voice as he brought some distance between them, vaguely gesturing to the damaged parts.

“My radio won’t work, my rotors are fried. And even if they weren’t, I don’t have my hoist. I can’t get us out of here.”

Blade sounded so frustrated and bitter that Dusty instinctively wanted to comfort and reassure him. Then, the meaning of the words sank in, causing the panic that Dusty had all but forgotten about to rise again. _If you can’t fly out to get help and I’m too damaged to even try and your radio isn’t working and mine…_ He frantically checked his radio, desperately trying to reach somebody only to be met with silence. _A dead connection…_

“Mine’s not working either…”

Reality hit him full force and for a moment he almost wished that he hadn’t woken up at all. _This can’t be happening…_ He only realized that he’d started trembling when Blade pulled him close again, simply holding him tight and not letting go.

Oddly enough, it was Blade trembling as well that calmed him the most.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How would you have acted if you were in their situation? Would you have behaved diferently?


	19. Cold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hereby gift this chapter to tkeiser04  
> They drew some really awesome fanart for this fanfic! I'm still amazed somebody liked it enough to draw it :) Go check it out, they're super cool!
> 
> https://perceptor04.tumblr.com/post/182768624485/really-quick-fanart-from-a-fanfic-called-life-is
> 
> Enjoy :)

<https://perceptor04.tumblr.com/post/182768624485/really-quick-fanart-from-a-fanfic-called-life-is>  (in case you can't open it from the notes)  
  
For a little while Blade allowed himself to just bask in the comfort of having Dusty close, feeling his warmth and being able to hear him breathe. _That was almost as scary as seeing you crash the first time_. He quickly banished the thought, unbidden memories rising and threatening to send him back into the panic that he had just manage to calm. _We’re not exactly out of the woods yet._ He nearly snorted at his own pun. _Chrysler, that was bad._ But it was true, they were hardly out of danger. Dusty was just a little less likely to die now but the cold of the night, the amount of fluids he had already lost and his presumably extremely low energy levels all still presented very real dangers. _Not to mention my own injuries._ He had been able to ignore them while he had been fixated on fixing Dusty before he died of fluid loss, but now that that fixing point was gone and he had nothing to distract himself with he could feel the throbbing pain of his own wounds. His pain was nowhere near the levels of pain Dusty must have been feeling but it was still exhausting to deal with. He instinctively snuggled closer to his plane, feeling the chill of the night getting to him now that the adrenaline was gone. _I’m tired…_ Dusty was nice and warm, and surprisingly comfortable. _You won’t mind if I just rest my eyes a little, will you?_ He didn’t have the energy to ask out loud, too comfortable in his position of leaning on Dusty’s side. He could feel his eyes slowly drooping, sleep just around the corner and promising relief from the constant ache he was feeling. He just wanted to rest for a while…

“Hey! How come you get to fall asleep?!”

Blade’s eyes immediately snapped open. His mouth was halfway open, ready to shoot back an annoyed answer about falling asleep from exhaustion and passing out from massive fluid loss being two fundamentally different things. Then he saw the indignant expression on his Champs face, all but glaring at him with concern hidden underneath it and he muttered out a silent apology instead.

“What was that? I couldn’t quite hear you.”

Blade snorted. _Really Dusty?_ The indignant expression was back and Blade had to suppress a giggle. _It looks almost cute on you…_

“What? What’s so funny?”

Blade gave up on trying to suppress it, giggles soon turning into laughter as he let himself laugh freely, grateful for the endorphins shooting through his body and the distraction it provided. At first, Dusty still looked annoyed but the tension was slowly leaving him until Dusty joined him, both of them edging on laughing a little hysterically. _There really isn’t anything to laugh about here._ But it felt good to laugh nonetheless, almost like a healing salve for the wounds that the events of the night had left on their cores. But one could only laugh with no real cause for so long, and before too long their laughter slowly died down, leaving Blade with a feeling of emptiness that not even Dusty could fill. _There’s gotta be something else we can do to pass the time. We can’t risk falling asleep and who knows how long it will take before anybody even notices we’re gone, let alone finds us…_ It wasn’t really a comforting thought, but it was the reality, no matter how harsh it was. He frantically wrecked his brain for an idea what they could possibly do to keep themselves awake and distracted from the cold, their pain and the fear. _This isn’t really the time for casual conversation. I don’t really know any games either… Unless-_

“Remember that time on my birthday where we started playing twenty questions?”

Dusty nodded and Blade was quite sure he could see a faint blush adorning his cheeks. Only belatedly did he remember the last question and could feel his own cheeks burning with heat. _Oh Chrysler, what did I just do?_

“We never finished…”

Dusty sounded hesitant, looking at Blade as if he expected him to deny it. Blade opted to stay silent, not quite trusting his voice not to betray his racing core. For a few tense seconds they just stared at each other uncomfortably, both unsure of how to best proceed from that point. Then, Dusty sighed and turned around, cuddling a little closer to Blade before beginning, voice still hoarse and a little shaky.

“Okay… Umm, Let’s see…”

His expression turned thoughtful, causing the familiar curiosity and anticipation that this game always provoked to rise in Blade. _On second thought, this might be just the thing we need right now._ He could see the way Dusty’s face lit up as he finally thought of a question and at that moment it almost felt like they were back at his cliff, stargazing and playing the game just for fun.

“How come you were there so fast when I radioed you?”

For a moment Blade actually wondered what Dusty meant. Then it clicked. _I never got the chance to tell you…_ The thought left a bittersweet aftertaste as the unbidden ‘what if’s and ‘could have been’s swarmed his head. He shook his head, banning the thoughts from his mind and focusing on the worried eyes of the plane before him.

“You alright?”

“That’s two questions…”

Blade managed a weak smile, before letting his gaze turn skywards, looking for a glimpse of the stars through the relatively dense trees. He could feel Dusty nudging him and gave up on trying, focusing on the star in front of him instead.

“I’m fine Dusty. And the reason why I got there so fast was that I was stationed to be able to do just that. After you left one of the onsites radioed and asked if I could help them out because they were short a chief. I was honestly quite happy to get the chance to spend a little more time with you, so I agreed. But then there was so much stuff to do and I didn’t have time until the aircrobatics show and when that was done you just vanished, so I never got the chance to tell you I was there. Sorry.”

Dusty stared at him wide-eyed as if he couldn’t believe Blade had actually accepted more work to spend a little time with him. _Oh Dusty… I’d do anything to get some time with you. You should know that by now._ His thoughts must have been showing on his face because Dusty’s gaze softened, a small smile gracing his lips.

“I guess, in a way I owe whoever radioed you my life.”

They both gulped, the mention of their predicament all but shattering their momentary reprieve.

“You’ll have to introduce me when this is over. I gotta thank them.”

Dusty sounded almost apologetic and Blade smiled, albeit a bit pained, and tightened his hold around the plane. _Let’s just not think about this for now. It’ll come back on its own soon enough…_

“Okay, my turn. How did you like our team’s winter work?”

Work was a safe topic, full of happy shared memories to bask in and far away from their current situation. Blade could see the way Dusty latched onto it, the smile on his face widening as his eyes adopted a faraway look. _Good. Think back to happier times._

“Well, the work was interesting. Nice change to just going around and scouting all the time. And the nature…”

Blade closed his eyes, remembering the admiring look on Dusty’s face as he had shown him the beautiful sights, the way he had looked at the frozen falls in utter adoration and all the other things they had done over the course of the past months. It was almost enough to make him forget.

“Chrysler, the nature is beautiful to watch. I’ll admit, the cold was a downside, but sitting around the fire was nice. Team bonding and everything… I think I’m actually going to miss this. I mean, technically I could stay for a little longer, but I’ll have to focus on training now, so I couldn’t really work with you guys…”

Dusty trailed off, his voice sounding exhausted and pulling Blade from his reverie and right back into the cold. He felt Dusty trembling beneath him and pulled him in as tight as he could, trying his best to simultaneously warm Dusty and draw a little warmth from the other himself.

“I’m cold Blade…”

“I know Dusty. But it’ll be okay. The night has got to be over some time, and then it’ll get warmer.”

Blade knew that first off, that was a lie, and second, even if it would get warmer with the coming of the day, there was no telling when that would be. But he knew that Dusty needed the illusion. And if he was being honest with himself, so did he.

“It’s your turn Champ. Do you have a question?”

Dusty stayed silent and for a moment Blade feared that he had fallen asleep. He sighed in relief when he heard Dusty answer after all, voice trembling and teeth clapping from the cold.

“Did you mean your last question? The one on your birthday?”

Blade gulped, dread rising within him as his throat constricted around the answer. _Please don’t Dusty. This is not the time to lose you…_ He saw the expectant look in Dusty’s eyes, glazed over with exhaustion and beginning to droop again. _Don’t fall asleep!_ Before he knew it, the answer had left his mouth, the fear of Dusty falling asleep winning over the fear of the reaction his answer would provoke.

“Yes! I meant it…”

“Good…”

Dusty’s voice sounded distant, exhausted, and Blade felt his panic rise as the other began swaying on his wheels.

“Since it’s your turn, I’ll just… answer it… ‘cause I don’t know if’ll make it to ‘nother round…”

His voice had begun to slur and all Blade could do was watch helplessly, frozen, as Dusty sluggishly extracted himself from the hug and moved in front of Blade, heavily swaying and shaking, teeth clapping nonstop. Their eyes met and even through all the exhaustion, Blade could see the determination that he normally only saw on the plane’s face when he was fighting for something that mattered to him.

“Dusty-“

“Shs… Don want t’ leave anything unanswered… I know it hsn’t been twnty questions, ‘m sorry.”

“Dusty don’t! Just calm down, we can keep playing, it doesn’t have to be over, it’s-“

“T’s too late Blade…. So… I just… want… you… to know… that… there…… is someone…… I……… like…”

The sentence kept getting slower, the pauses after each word growing as Dusty’s voice got quieter and quieter. The meaning of the words almost went past Blade who couldn’t think past his worries of Dusty using up the last of his strength. But then Dusty looked at him with that strange look in his glassy eyes, a mix of happiness and pain and the meaning of the words hit him, making his core hammer painfully in his chest, his throat constricting around the question that was burning on his tongue. He feared the answer.

“Who?”

He wasn’t able to get out anything more than a strangled whisper, throat too tight with fear to speak up. For one terribly blissful moment, Blade thought Dusty hadn’t heard it. The plane’s eyes were staring past him, as if Dusty couldn’t see him anymore and the worry that he had momentarily forgotten came back full force, only to be knocked down again by the barely audible answer that left the plane’s mouth, almost like a last breath.

“You…”

That word seemed to use up the rest of his energy, leaving Blade damned to watch as Dusty’s eyes fluttered shut, a tired smile on his face as the plane slumped to the ground and lay there, unmoving. For one terrible second, the world seemed to stand still. Then Blade was able to move again, jumping forward and shaking the plane, getting more and more violent when he didn’t get any reaction. _No, no,no,no,no…_

“Wake up Dusty!”

He felt tears rising in his eyes, not bothering to hold them back as desperately tried to wake up his Champ, his panic quickly skyrocketing as he felt the familiar pain wash over him.

“You can’t just say something like that and then leave me here alone!”

The plane before him stayed silent and Blade could feel his own energy rapidly dropping with every violent shake, every scream and every bit of rising panic.

“You promised! Don’t hurt me like Nick did. Please…”

He could feel the cold draining the last of his energy, violently fighting it as he clung onto Dusty.

“Wake up… I need you…”

He felt his tires give out, collapsing next to Dusty as he slowly felt his body shut down. _No… I need to… stay…. Awake…_

“Please…”

He felt the darkness pulling at him, fighting it with everything he had. He didn’t stand a chance. In a last effort to keep Dusty safe, he used all the strength he still possessed to drag himself over Dusty, pulling him under his rotors, back into his warmth.

_You….. said…. you were…. cold…._

The last thing he registered before unconsciousness claimed him completely was that Dusty was cold as the dead.


	20. Search and rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone survived the cliffhanger last time ;)  
> Enjoy :)

When they had decided to ask Ranger Jammer for a day off to visit Blade and Dusty, Windlifter had expected many things, ranging from Blade overworking up to him happily kissing Dusty in some corner. He’d really been prepared for a lot of things. Reaching the valley only to find utter chaos had not been one of them. When they landed they were immediately overrun by a young plane who looked like she was about to cry. She was hyperventilating, causing Maru to throw a fit until he got her to tell them what was wrong.

“They’re all gone… Chief Chraster is injured, we’re way too short-staffed and the others are tryingtofindChiefRangerbuthe’sgoneandthere’sbeenafireandnobodyknowswhathappenedandtheyjustleftmeinchargealone!Youhavetohelpme,Idon’tknowwhattodo…”

He saw the rage in Maru’s eyes as he tried to calm the distraught firefighter, unable to make out anything she was saying with the speed she was talking.

“Hey, hey! Calm down, from the top. Your team left you in charge alone and something happened. What?”

Windlifter could see the way she calmed the moment someone was giving her instructions, taking a deep breath and slowly relaxing a little. _She’s a rookie… Something must be very wrong if they left her in charge on her own._ _I have a bad feeling about this._

“Sometime during yesterday night, there was a fire in one of the racers’ hangars. Dusty Crophopper’s. By the looks of it, nobody noticed though because all we found this morning when we went looking for Chief Ranger was the wreckage. The hangar burned down completely, there’s almost nothing left.”

Windlifter froze, the rest of the team not fairing much better as the words sank in. _Dusty’s hangar was destroyed and Blade is gone._

“You don’t think…”

Dipper looked at Windlifter with an expression of raw fear and Windlifter gulped.

“They’re alive until proven otherwise. You know Blade, for all we know they could have been out watching the moon when it all happened and the storm forced them to take shelter somewhere.”

Maru snorted, a grim expression on his face as he shook his head.

“It would be very much like him.”

He turned to look at the rookie who wore an expression of horror as she had no doubt realized just who they were.

“Oh Chrysler, you’re their team… I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have-“

“Just show us the way.”

It was out of character for him, but Windlifter didn’t like what his gut was telling him and was itching to prove himself wrong. _I just can’t be right._ When they reached the burned remains of the hangar they were met with utter commotion. All the racers were out and about, some hysterically crying and others throwing themselves at the wreckage only to be pulled back by a few firefighters who desperately tried to regain control of the situation. It took a solid minute for the onsites to clear a path for them to roll through to get to the scene and clear the perimeter of the racers at least far enough for them to be able to see. The hangar, or rather what was left of it, looked terrible.

“Alright guys listen up. Until proven otherwise this is merely a case of property damage and to be dealt with accordingly. Check the wreckage, see if you can find what caused this and look for anything else that might be relevant.”

_Just act normal. There’s no need to panic. Yet…_ In another situation, the looks that he was getting from everybody around him ranging from shock to scandalized would have been comical. In their current situation, they almost felt mocking, pulling at the mask of professionalism that Windlifter was desperately trying to keep on. _They need a chief right now. And I need a distraction._ The space around them grew completely quiet and he almost wished back the commotion. In all his years as a firefighter, which were a lot, he had never wished his instincts to be wrong so badly. For a short while, the only sounds that could be heard were those that the team made while carding through the ruins of the hangar. Windlifter prayed it would stay that way.

“Damn it!”

Maru’s whispered curse echoed through the crowd as if he had screamed it.

Almost as if in slow motion the forklift picked something from the wreckage, almost lovingly, staring at it with utter disbelief.

“No…”

All eyes were trained on the hoist, cut off, melted, and dirty with grime. He could see the hope within the team shatter, Maru silently crying and clutching the hoist to his chest.

“This still doesn’t prove anything. They could still have gotten out. You know them, if anybody could survive something like this it’s those two.”

Dynamite’s voice was shaking, clinging to the shards of hope that were no longer there. It sounded like even she didn’t believe her words. It felt like a nightmare.

“We could check the surveillance cameras, see if you’re right.”

_What?!_ Windlifter whipped around, unsure whether to kiss or to strangle her. The rookie, whose expression had turned hopeful at Dipper’s exclamation seemed to shrink under his glare. Maru however had always had little self-control and when it came to Blade it was practically nonexistent.

“You mean this whole time there were cameras? AND YOU’RE ONLY TELLING US NOW?!”

The forklift all but threw himself at her, shaking her violently and nearly managing to leave a mark on her plating. Windlifter had trouble prying him off her.

“Maru! She’s a rookie, she’s been through enough.”

The plane was shaking, muttering an unending string of apologies until Windlifter nudged her, doing his best to remain calm.

“Would you be so kind and show us the footage?”

_And would you please hurry!_

“O-of course, it’s this way.”

The little drive through the hangars felt like an eternity. When they finally got there and the files had been searched for the right point in time the entire team was ready to murder someone.

At first, all that could be seen was the hangar in the moonlight. Then, suddenly there was a shadowy figure, coming closer, multiplying, no, two figures who headed towards Dusty’s hangar. There, they poured something around it and onto the walls. The video was without sound, but even like that they could see them laughing in a decidedly not good way. ‘Serves him right’, one of them mouthed and Windlifter felt his fluids run cold. The next moment the other had lighted a match and had thrown it at the hangar, jumping away as the hangar all but exploded into flames. For one moment, the planes were visible in the light of the fire, plating gleaming sickly green and black and white. Beside him, he could hear Dipper draw in a sharp breath.

“That’s Ned and Zed. They’re Ripslinger’s little lapdogs.”

“They’ve been after Dusty before.”

Everybody turned around to the yellow and red plane that had spoken. Her eyes were burning with rage.

“They’ve tried to kill him before.”

Windlifter focused his attention back on the video, rage slowly rising within him as he could see the planes heading off to a larger plane in the distance.

“And if they’re involved then I’d bet my propeller that that’s Ripslinger.”

Windlifter nearly jumped at the familiar voice, spinning around to look at Skipper, sitting quietly in a corner of the room, wearing a pained expression with his eyes fixed on the monitors. Before he could feel guilty for forgetting their newest member’s coach, the room grew uneasy, causing him to look back at the screens and watch with wide eyes as Blade entered the picture, talking with someone, Dusty, over the radio. He watched in a mix of horror and amazement as Blade threw himself at the rooftop, hitting it with his retardant tank again and again and again until it gave out. Beside him, he could feel Maru tense.

“You don’t think he’ll-“

But Blade did just that, throwing his hoist in and lifting Dusty from the flames. It was all painfully slow, leaving all of them on edge and praying that it had worked. Around him he could hear the murmuring of the firefighters not from their team, disbelieving of the scene unfolding before them but all Windlifter could see was Blade’s pained expression and the way his rotors looked like they would give out from the strain any second. _You’re no heavy lifter Blade! What were you thinking?!_ He watched with terrified awe as Blade managed to get Dusty above the flames and started spinning, distantly realizing what he was trying to do but too tense to really register it. _Any moment now…_ There was just no way this could have worked. Beside him, Maru was shaking, clenching the hoist tightly to his chest as they waited for the crash.

Instead Dusty suddenly seemed to gain lift, his propeller spinning as he was actively flying circles around Blade. The relief on Blade’s face was clear to see as he released Dusty who immediately shot out of the picture. _But if you got out, then how…_

“Move you idiot, why are you staying above the fire?!”

It clicked. Their eyes all flew to the space between Blade and the roof of the hangar, the hoist glistening in the fire, stuck somewhere below.

“Come on Blade…”

He could hear Maru silently praying next to him as they watched in horror how Blade desperately tried to pull free, to no avail.

“Dusty!”

Windlifter’s eyes widened as he watched the plane set course for the space between Blade and the roof, he could see Blade screaming at him and his core nearly stopped at Dusty’s answer clear to see even without sound. ‘I’m not leaving without you.’ He distantly heard Dipper gasp, the Jumpers yelling at the screen and Maru cursing as he watched Dusty fly through the gap, cutting Blade free. _No way…_ His core was hammering in his chest, a wave of relief washing over him and even the fact that Dusty’s propeller stopped working, pulling him and Blade down into the forest below couldn’t quell the hope that was rapidly growing within him.

“Oh thank Kayori.”

“They’re alive…”

Maru all but jumped, the hoist cluttering to the ground as the words sunk in. _They made it!_ The rest of the crowd stared at them in disbelief, some even glaring. Windlifter didn’t hold it against them. Normally, seeing two aircraft crash was hardly a cause to celebrate but to them it was familiar. This was hardly the first time that a teammate had been down, even less so with Blade and Windlifter was starting to think Dusty would be the same. _It’s just another crash._ This, they could deal with.

“Alright people, listen!”

The hushed whispering around him died down, his team already alert and awaiting orders, the other firefighters slowly catching on.

“Dynamite, I’m putting you in charge of ground search. Search the forest and if you find them report back to me. Any ground vehicle who feels up to going into the woods follow her, she’ll know what to do!”

“On my way!”

The Jumpers were up and away in the blink of an eye with a gradually growing group of cars following behind them. _Good._

“The same goes for aircraft, if you think you can help with the search and rescue follow me. We’ll need every plane we’ve got. Maru, you know what to do. Get yourself some help if you need it. I’m opening an emergency frequency, anybody who finds them can reach me there. GO!”

He took a deep breath, patiently waiting as Maru equipped him and another heavy lifter from the onsites with a harness. The disbelieving and scared whispering around them never stopped, much to Windlifter’s annoyance, especially when he noticed that most of the onsites were siding against them. _Idiots!_ As soon as Maru was done, Windlifter immediately took off. He didn’t wait to see who followed him, he knew they’d manage on their own if they had to. When he reached the cliff he let himself fall, only stopping when his harness was just high enough above the trees to not get tangled in it. He flew slowly, careful not to miss anything as he let his eyes roam over the ground beneath him. At this rate, it was going to take days to find them.

“Windlifter, this is Dynamite reporting in. We’re taking the area around the cliff. We’re searching in a tight grid, if they’re here we’ll find them.”

“Windlifter copies.”

He sped up, leaving the cliff area and beginning his search a little off to the right.

“To all aircraft, divide yourselves and get to separate sections of the forest. That way we can cover maximum ground in minimum time. It might not be the most thorough method, but we don’t have the time for that.”

For a short while his radio buzzed with affirmations, forcing him to stop his search until it was quiet again. He kept his gaze trained on the treetops, looking for signs of two aircraft having crashed through them. Torn branches, a gap in the dense forest, anything. From up in the air it was nearly impossible to see the ground through the trees, the density of the forest too high to see much more than the mass of leaves. _Knowing our luck they’re probably around here somewhere._ His gut was telling him to keep looking. _We don’t have the luxury to be completely thorough. For all we know they could be freezing to death right now. It’s already been too long._ For one fatal second, he let his focus slip, nearly missing the broken treetops below. If not for the frantic yelling that suddenly emerged from among the trees, he would have missed it altogether.

“DOWN HERE! HELP!”

_Blade!_ Windlifter would recognize that voice anywhere. He immediately set course for the general direction the shout had come from, hoping that he hadn’t misheard.

“Blade! Hold on, I’m on my way.”

As he reached the clearing they had made in the forest by crashing, he could hear Blade sob with relief. When he landed he could understand why. _By Kayori…_ Blade was covered in grime, tear streaks clearly visible on his face. His plating was covered in dents and fluids though he supposed they mostly belonged to Dusty. _Considering your situation, that’s even worse…_ The plane looked terrible, covered in grime, dented, plating warped from the heat and gaping holes. On his wing Windlifter could see a sloppy patchjob that was beginning to become undone, fluids seeping out from underneath and it was all Windlifter could do not to curse.

“Hurry Wind… He hasn’t been responding since last night, he’s so cold and he’s losing fluids and there was nothing I could do and-“

He could hear Blade draw in a shaky breath, fresh tears sparkling in his eyes as he reluctantly let go of the plane that he had held cradled to his chest up to that moment.

“Just get him to Maru, hurry…”

Windlifter didn’t try and argue, Dusty clearly needed the medical attention more than Blade did. He lifted up a little, giving  Blade enough room to attach the straps and carefully taking off, doing his best not to injure the plane any further. Somehow this felt worse than carrying him to base after he had crashed at the falls. Below on the ground, he could hear Blade whimper. It nearly broke his core.

“Don’t worry. I’ll get you to Maru and he’ll make you better than new and then you two can talk this out.”

When he got above the trees he immediately headed for the cliff, a lot slower now that he had the additional weight of Dusty to carry. For once in his life, he wished he could go faster.

“Everybody listen. I found them, I’m sending you the coordinates. I got Dusty with me, someone will have to get Blade.”

He switched to their private radio, opening a connection to Maru.

“Maru, come in. Do you have everything you need?”

“That depends on the injuries. Did you find them?”

He could hear the tightness in the mechanic’s voice, the only testament to just how worried Maru was about his best friend and newest charge.

“Affirmative. I’m coming in with Dusty, ETA in five minutes.”

“Amount of injuries?”

“Blade is conscious and appears to only have some surface damage.”

“And Dusty?”

Windlifter could clearly hear the other’s worry now and he hated himself for not being able to soothe it. _On the contrary. This is worse than the falls._

“Unresponsive, several deep cuts and one gigantic cleft in his wing, surface burns, presumably internal damage. Massive fluid loss and hypothermia. He hasn’t been conscious or responsive for several hours.”

He could hear Maru draw in a sharp breath and exhale it again shakily.

“Fuck!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How'd you like Windlifter's POV for a change?


	21. Closure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello. I once again want to point out that tkeiser04 is drawing super awesome fanart for this fic as it continues, so go check out the link a few chapters prior. It's worth it :)  
> Enjoy :)

Maru had never been more thankful to see somebody crash in his entire life. The relief that had washed over him when he had seen them go down into the woods couldn’t be described in words. _I don’t know what I would have done if you had died…_ At least now it was up to him to work his magic and make them better than new. The various mechanics that traveled with the racers or belonged to the onsite team all wore gloomy expressions, no doubt preparing themselves to find corpses. Maru laughed. It was a bitter laugh, the worry within him not quite gone, but he knew that if they survived the night he would be able to fix them. _I’m always able to fix them._ He might not like to brag with it, but Cabbie had never lied when he had said that Maru was the best there is. Or at least one of them. It was a safe knowledge to fall back on and right now it was exactly what he needed. His determination must have shown on his face because one of the onsite mechanics hesitantly approached him, a sympathetic look on his face.

“Uhm, Sir. I’m really sorry, but with what happened I don’t think you’ll be able to-“

Maru actually snorted at that.

“You think this is the first time that any of them crashed?”

His laugh was borderline hysteric when he saw the wide-eyed disbelieving expressions of everyone around him. _Pft. Must be nice not to know what that’s like._

“I managed to build Dusty a gearbox from scratch and Blade hasn’t died under my care yet. Considering that I’m pretty sure you guys have _actual_ medical supplies here, I’d say I’ll be the judge of whether or not I can fix them.”

He could feel the familiar rush of adrenaline through his lines that always came with having a life in his lifts.

“Okay. I’m going to need a couple of things and I would be much obliged to you if you could get them. I’m going to need your help with this. We’ll need spare plating and lots of it. And any replacement parts you have. Internals will be the most important, knowing them theirs will be fried. And fluids! We need spare fluids and heat generators. And if you’re at it, get me some blankets. Chances are good we’re dealing with a bad case of hypothermia.”

Maru had already started making a mental list of any possible injuries and how he was best going to fix them when he noticed that none of the mechanics had moved, most of them looking at Dottie to see what she would do. The female forklift was fighting her tears, standing there in shock. _Oh, for the love of…_

“What are you waiting for? Lives are on the line! Move!”

_We don’t have time for being shocked._ Years of having to repair his ‘family’ had taught him that. His yelling finally seemed to bring movement into the small group, everybody hurrying off to search their supplies for anything that could be of help. Even Dottie went to get some supplies, though Maru knew she was in no condition to do any repair work.   _Let’s do this!_

“Maru, come in. Do you have everything you need?”

Maru glanced around him, seeing a growing stack of supplies in the corner of the garage, but if they were going to deal with life-threatening injuries, and he knew that they were, this wouldn’t be enough. A wave of worry swept through him as he realized that racers didn’t seem to carry as many medical supplies as he had thought.

“That depends on the injuries. Did you find them?”

“Affirmative. I’m coming in with Dusty, ETA in five minutes.”

He couldn’t hold back a sigh of relief, allowing himself to unwind for a moment before his next question irreversibly made their lives his responsibility.

“Amount of injuries?”

“Blade is conscious and appears to only have some surface damage.”

“And Dusty?”

_If you have him on you he’s worse than Blade, come on, out with it!_

 “Unresponsive, several deep cuts and one gigantic cleft in his wing, surface burns, presumably internal damage. Massive fluid loss and hypothermia. He hasn’t been conscious or responsive for several hours.”

Maru gulped, exhaling shakily as he assessed his stock. _Still not enough!_

 “Fuck!”

_Okay Maru, you can do this. This can’t be much worse than the falls. He’s strong, he’ll pull through._ Anything else just wasn’t an option. He watched as Windlifter neared the garage, Dusty’s mangled form visible even from the distance. Not far behind he could make out the other heavy lifter, carrying a much better looking Blade. _That’s good._

“Hey you, onsite. I’m leaving you in charge of my chief, don’t mess it up.”

He could see the mechanic flinch at his sharp tone but this wasn’t the time to be gentle. Not when lives depended on it. The moment Windlifter reached the garage he fell into the familiar pattern of command.

“Get those straps off! I need a tow hook, now!”

Dusty looked terrible, worse than after the falls and if he was honest it scared him a little. He didn’t give himself time to dwell on it though, rushing to the plane’s unconscious side and immediately assessing the damage. _Mend his hydraulics, refill the fluids, check the filters. Outside damage can wait._ The moment one of his lifts touched Dusty’s side he cursed, the plating being all but freezing.

“I need heat lamps and blankets, hurry up!”

_This isn’t good._ He’d been expecting hypothermia but Dusty was at a point where his body temperature nearly equaled that of a dead body. Maru suppressed a shiver, pushing down his fear that he was already too late and got to work. Behind him, he could hear the other heavy lifter land. He just hoped that Blade’s injuries were really as simple as Windlifter had assessed them.

“Hey, what are you doing? Why are you working on me, work on him for Chrysler’s sake!”

_Blade!_

“I refuse to be treated until Dusty is safe, I’ll live!”

Maru felt a wave of anger wash over him, grabbing the next best thing he could find that wasn’t vital, a can of cooling fluid, and throwing it at the helicopter’s head.

“Don’t you dare refuse treatment! You’re no good to Dusty if you follow Nick in stupidity.”

That was a low blow. He could see the hurt expression on Blade’s face morph into one of fury as the first angry tears were running down his cheeks, smearing the grime on his face. For one terrible second time seemed to freeze as everyone around them grew dead quiet, staring at the pair with a variety of expressions. _Chrysler, Blade I’m sorry, just-_

“How dare you? This isn’t about Nick! This is about life and death! Nick is dead for Chrysler’s sake but Dusty still lives!”

Blade’s voice was shaking and for the first time, Maru knew with dead certainty that it wasn’t from fear.

“SO STOP WORRYING ABOUT ME AND SEE TO IT THAT HE STAYS THAT WAY! Don’t you dare let him die.”

The commotion that had erupted around them at the arrival of the two injured firefighters had completely died down at the helicopter’s exclamation with the exception of Dipper and the Jumpers who inhaled sharply at the realization of just why Blade had become a firefighter. Everyone was watching with varying degrees of shock as Blade grudgingly let himself be treated, eyes never leaving Maru as he got back to working on Dusty.

He lost track of time as he worked through the worst injuries, relieved to find that while the hypothermia was bad and the external damage looked terrible, apart from the massive fluid loss which could be amended, Dusty’s internal injuries were of a miraculously small amount compared to what he had been dreading and most importantly, fixable given time, experience and supplies which for once in his career he actually had on hand. The worst was the massive fluid loss and Dusty’s filters which were clogged with ashes and grime to the point nothing could get through them anymore. It was a miracle that he was even still alive but Maru wasn’t complaining. The ruptured hydraulics took time to fix, but once they were repaired and Dusty’s fluid levels were back to normal, the external damage to Dusty’s plating and structure was a flight in clear sky.

_The rest is up to you kid. Warm up, and when you’ve rested a little, how about you wake up a little faster this time?_

By the time he finished the sun was setting, painting a beautiful picture in the sky, like the ones Blade and Dusty had always watched from the cliff. _Blade!_ Maru instantly felt a wave of guilt wash through him. _I gotta apologize._ No matter the stress he was under, Nick just wasn’t a topic to use against Blade. And to imply that he had died because of stupidity… _What was I thinking?_

He found Blade outside by the cliff, watching the sunset crying silently.

“Hey Blade… Mind if I join you?”

Blade shook his head, leaning onto him as soon as Maru had settled.

“I’m sorry for what I said earlier. That was uncalled for.”

Blade shook his head again, a bit more violently this time and for a moment Maru feared he was going to have a panic attack. Instead, Blade was smiling, sad eyes fixed on the setting sun.

“Don’t apologize. I mean, you’re right. Nick was reckless. He’s always been reckless.”

Blade’s quiet laugh sounded strange. Different, Maru noticed. _Huh… What’s this?_

“He never cared for the risks when they stood in the way of his fun. That’s just how he was and I loved him for it.”

Maru gulped. It was the first time since Blade had come to Piston Peak that the helicopter talked about his former fiancé without having a nervous breakdown.

“You know Maru, we used to sneak up on the highest building on set to watch the sunrise together. It was beautiful. The way the entire city sparkled with the rising day underneath us… It used to make me feel so happy. Like I’d never need anything else in the world. He used to joke around, always finding the right balance between talking and staying quiet, just the right amount. He was never too pushy, always respected my admiration for nature even though he didn’t share it. I think over time I managed to pass at least a little of it onto him. Even though he always denied it.”

Blade actually chuckled. A real, honest, happy chuckle. Blade had never smiled like that before, not when they had talked about Nick. _Blade…_ The helicopter was talking with a sense of closure that he had never seen in him before. Maru was slowly beginning to understand.

“I miss those mornings sometimes. Piston Peak is different. It’s so full of nature, it’s like a counterpoint to the city. But no matter how beautiful the sunrise is here, it’ll never be the same without him.

“I’m sorry…”

 “Don’t be. It’s alright. Things change, that’s how it is. Some things are just not meant to last. I know that now. It took me a long time to realize, but I know. And that’s okay.”

_Wow…_ Blade looked almost happy, the smile on his face genuine like he had rarely ever seen it. It was a newfound calmness and it was beginning to make way for an all-new happiness that Maru had never gotten to see on Blade before.

 “You know, in a way, Dusty and Nick have a lot in common.”

And Maru understood. _This isn’t a new kind of happiness. It’s just different than how it was with Nick. This happiness belongs to Dusty now._

Blade’s voice had turned incredibly soft and Maru watched with wonder as he let his gaze fall onto the garage, looking at it with the same kind of adoration that he had watched the sunset with. _You really love him with all your core…_ Up to this point, he hadn’t thought that Blade would ever be able to let Nick go.  Not enough to let someone else in as deeply as he had with Nick. _I’ve never been so glad to be wrong…_ He couldn’t help the happy smile that slowly spread on his face.

“I know Blade. I know.”

_They both make you happy._

They watched as the last rays of the sun slowly disappeared behind the mountains, a companionable silence settling between them. Maru noticed how Blade’s eyes were shining with worry again, his thoughts no doubt with the plane currently lying in the garage. It was only then that Maru realized what Blade been trying to achieve with their conversation.

_You wanted a distraction… So you used happy memories, memories of Nick… You used_ Nick, _to distract yourself from_ Dusty _!_

Maru sighed, still a little surprised with this turn of events and when Blade shot him a questioning look he just pulled the helicopter into a hug. _You’ve come a long way since first showing up at my hangar door as an overprotective, unstable, suicidal emotional mess. I’m proud of you Blade._ He could hear Blade exhaling a shaky breath as he slowly extracted himself from the hug, eyes fixed on the garage.

“He’ll be alright Blade.”

_I wouldn’t be here if he wouldn’t._

“I know Maru. You’re his mechanic after all.”

_I’m glad you trust me like that._ It made him happy, especially with the knowledge that it hadn’t always been like that.

“If you want to, you can wait by his sleeping mat until he wakes up. With his past I don’t know how long that will take, but if you want to you’re welcome to stay. I’m sure the onsites won’t mind.”

“Thank you…”

The answer was nothing more than a whisper, but to Maru, it was enough. _Always._

“Come on then. Let’s not keep your love waiting.”

Blade instantly blushed at that but to Maru’s surprise, he didn’t argue. When they reached the garage, Blade stopped in front of the door, drawing in a shaky breath.

“This is it…”

Maru nodded, giving Blade a gentle push into the direction of the sleeping plane. He could see the hesitation in Blade’s eyes and he almost found it endearing.

“Go on. I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you when he comes around.”

With that he turned around, giving the two some privacy. _You might need it._ Before he closed the door though, he looked at Blade one last time, smiling at the helicopter’s loving gaze and gentle touch on Dusty’s plating.

“Blade?”

“Yeah Maru?”

Maru smiled.

“I think you’re both going to be okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thought I'd bring in Maru again. It's been a while since we had his POV. Hope you liked it :)


	22. Why?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to apologize to my wonderful commenters for my super late anser (which I was only able to give now). I'm currently struck down with the flu and practically chained to my bed without the ability to think too much, though it's better now than it was the last three days. Anyway, I really feel sorry, hence my thousand apologies. You guys really mean the world to me.  
> Also, an apology to everyone for the late upload today, it is for the same reasons as above, only that in this case I felt bad enough to almost forget it was an upload day. Hope you all have a great day and fun with the new chapter.  
> Enjoy :)
> 
> (Wow, did I ever say this much in the notes?...)

After Maru had left, Blade had carefully lied down next to Dusty, pulling him under his rotors and holding him close. Even now and through the blankets, the plane was way too cold. Blade absentmindedly let the tips of his rotor blades paint small pictures on Dusty’s side, gently caressing the plane that he had come to hold so very dear. _Hurry up and wake up Dusty…_

When he closed his eyes he could see it all happening again. The panic that had coursed through him as Dusty had suddenly radioed in the middle of the night, the terror at the sight of the burning building, the stress of getting Dusty out, Dusty risking his life to save him, their crash… Dusty, losing fluids, screaming in pain, losing consciousness… Blade felt his eyes sting at the memory, his grip on Dusty tightening as he thought back to it. _How did all of this even happen?_ _A building just doesn’t randomly catch fire like that, especially on windy nights like yesterday. So why?_

A knock on the hangar door pulled him out of his thoughts before he could lose himself in trying to answer a question he couldn’t possibly find an answer for.

“Excuse me, I’m terribly sorry Sir but could I bother you for a minute?”

Blade looked up to see a middle-aged police car standing in the door, giving him a sympathetic look. Blade glanced down at the still form of the plane beneath him. He wanted to be there when he woke up, but the way Dusty currently looked that wouldn’t be happening anytime soon.

“Alright. I can spare a minute.”

“Thank you. I won’t be long.”

The police officer’s voice sounded soft, almost tired and Blade noticed the exhausted look in his eyes. _Looks like I’m not the only one who had a long day._ He sighed.

“Okay, so, what do you need me for?”

“I’ll need your testimony as the first responding rescuer on the scene and as a victim of the crash. Are you aware of what happened last night?”

“I don’t know what caused the fire, but other than that, yes.”

He could see the officer’s gaze harden at the mentioning of the cause for the fire, generating a sense of uneasiness within Blade as he slowly began to suspect what must have happened. _No…_

“Are you familiar with the relationship between Mister Crophopper and Mister Ripslinger?”

Blade felt sick, the pieces slowly falling into place as he realized what the police car was implying. His voice was shaking with boiling anger that was threatening to explode any second if his assumption proved to be correct.

“Yes. Did he do it?”

The police car nodded, then shook his head, drawing a thunderous growl from Blade. _Yes or no?! Spill it!_

“We don’t have a confession and he can’t be identified on the surveillance videos. He remains our prime suspect, but we can’t be sure. So until proven otherwise he is innocent. Regardless of the plane behind this though, the intent of their actions is quite evident.”

“Murder.”

“Yes.”

The room stayed silent after that, giving Blade time process the information. _I had a feeling it was something like this, I mean, sure, he’s bound to have some enemies, but to think somebody would actually go this far…_ He gulped, silent rage shooting through his lines.

“Please tell me they’re not getting away with this.”

The police car sighed, eyes growing even more tired and Blade knew he wasn’t going to like the answer.

“It’ll take a while, we’ll have to try and find a way to identify who’s behind this. If neither Ned nor Zed confess, we’ll have a hard time convicting whoever they’re protecting. And the guy likely has money so he’ll have a good defense if we get to a trial. It doesn’t automatically mean we will lose, but it’s safe to say we won’t automatically win.”

Blade nodded, forcing down his anger and concentrating on what was important.

“What will happen if you lose? Will they go free?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“And what if it was Ripslinger? What if he tries again while you still investigate?”

That spiked a flash of worry within Blade. _If this actually is Ripslinger then he already tried once, or rather, twice, he’ll do it again..._   The police car seemed to sense his worry because his gaze grew even more sympathetic as he sighed and gestured towards the sleeping plane.

“If it would make him feel safer, Mister Crophopper can file a restraining order. He has every right to do so and given the fact that he almost died and Ripslinger is the main suspect the court won’t be able to refuse him that.”

Blade nodded. _It’s better than nothing at least. Let’s just hope it doesn’t come to that and they find whoever is responsible fast._ He let his gaze roam back to Dusty, his sleep peaceful despite everything they had been through. _You’re not going to like this when you wake up…_

“So, regarding your testimony, could you briefly describe what happened? We’ll need to file your report for an accusation.”

Blade nodded, expression turning grim with the knowledge that all of this could have been avoided.

“I got a radio in the middle of the night that the hangar was burning and flew over. The door was melted shut so I had to break the roof to get him out. I got stuck in the debris while doing so, Dusty used his propeller to cut my hoist, we crashed. After that, all we really did was try to stay awake.”

It was the most clinical version that he could think of, but he didn’t have the emotional strength to go through it all in detail again. The police car nodded, silent understanding in his eyes.

“Thank you. One more thing, what is your relationship to Mister Crophopper? Can you speak for him as well?”

_My relationship to Dusty…_ It instantly brought back the memory of Dusty’s last words, causing Blade to physically shiver.

“I am Dusty’s chief and we’re good friends.”

_Friends…_

“Thank you.”

Blade distantly noticed the officer leaving the garage and closing the door behind him. His thoughts were focused on his plane, their last conversation ringing in his ears. _I just want you to know that there is someone else I like…_ He could still feel his core hammering in his chest at the thought of it. _You…_ He violently shook his head, forcing that train of thought down, groaning in frustration as he only partially succeeded. _Don’t get your hopes up! He was on the verge of falling unconscious. And at the time he must have been missing at least half of his fluids, if not more._ Blade knew that anything said under the influence of life-threatening injuries had to be treated with caution. He knew that Dusty’s words didn’t necessarily mean anything. That it all very likely wasn’t real, and for their friendship’s sake he almost wished Dusty wouldn’t remember when he woke up. But at the same time, the thought of believing that he actually had a chance, if only for a moment, and then having to pretend nothing ever happened at all hurt. It felt like his core was cracking and slowly falling apart. It hurt… His eyes were fixed on Dusty, tears swimming in them as he settled down next to the plane again. _I’m an idiot…_ A single tear ran down his cheek and Blade distantly wondered how he even still had any tears left with the amount he had cried during the last 24 hours. _I know that the chance you meant what you said or were even aware of what you were saying is next to nothing! So why?_ His core clenched painfully at the thought, causing a wave of self-hatred to roll over Blade, drowning him in a feeling he had long since forgotten. _Why am I doing this to myself? Why am I still hoping? Why…_ He wanted to say that he didn’t know the answer, but every time his eyes strayed to Dusty he knew, with dead certainty and from the bottom of his core. _I love him. So much… It’s impossible not to hope. Even if it means I’ll get my core broken. I can’t stop. I wouldn’t want to…_ And that was the worst part.

He let himself fall against the now slightly warmer body beneath him, exhaling slowly as he pulled the other close again. For the first time since Dusty had woken him up the night before he let himself relax, nice and warm with Dusty so close. It felt like the first glimpse of peace ever since Dusty had left to come here.

When the plane suddenly stirred beneath him, he nearly jumped at the sudden movement, accidentally hitting Dusty’s tail with his own and sending a sharp pain through it. But his pain was insignificant when Dusty suddenly groaned in pain, dazedly muttering Blade’s name. Blade felt like he had never heard anything more beautiful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? Who's the culprit?


	23. Chrysler, I’m such an idiot!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY! I totally forgot yesterday was an upload day... (How did this even happen?)
> 
> Well, here's the second last chapter. Hope you all like it.  
> Enjoy :)

“Blade…”

He felt warm. It was such a stark contrast to the way he had felt before that for a moment he wondered if it was still a dream. He snuggled into the warmth that was surrounding him a little further, soaking up the pleasant tingles that the touch of his heat source sent through his plating. Allowing his body the time it needed to wake up, his senses came back one by one. The first thing he noticed was that he no longer felt like he was dying. The agonizing pain had been reduced to a dull throb that spread through his body and left him a little tense. Compared to before, it felt like he had never been better. _Thank you, Maru._ He knew that with any other mechanic he would have been a goner. The heat beside him slowly moved, bringing Dusty back to reality as he slowly let his eyes flutter open, allowing them to adjust to the dim light. When the first thing he saw turned out to be Blade he wanted to cry with relief.

_We made it… We’re alive!_

He nearly threw himself at the other, desperate to feel him close and establish for himself that the helicopter was, in fact, very much alive and well, but the closed off, almost frozen expression on Blade’s face kept him rooted to the spot. _What’s wrong?_ Something in Blade’s expression made it impossible for him to move, his core hammering in his chest as the tension in the room grew. Somehow, Blade’s stare managed to grow in intensity, leaving Dusty gaping back at him, frantically wrecking his mind for what he could have done wrong. Realization hit him like a bucket of ice suddenly being emptied over his head. _Blade- Oh no…_

_I just want you to know that there is someone else I like…_

His own words echoed in his head like a ghost, his corebeat excelling as a pool of dread began to form in his tanks, leaving him with a dry mouth a lump in his throat that seemed to be swelling with every tense second that ticked by. It took him a few times to get his voice working, pushing the words past the lump with all the strength he could muster.

"Blade, about what I said, before I fainted I mean, I-"

If possible, Blade’s stare turned even harder, his eyes leaving Dusty’s and opting to fixate a point right above his left wing. Dusty’s breath hitched, a wave of nausea washing over him as he desperately tried to regain eye contact. _Please…_ As if he had heard his silent plea, Blade’s eyes briefly strayed back to his, only for a fraction of a second but it left Dusty speechless. _Blade…_ He had never seen so much pain in the other’s eyes. When he opened his mouth to ask what was wrong or even just try and comfort his friend, Blade beat him to it. His voice sounded hoarse, almost cracking as he refused to meet Dusty’s eyes.

"It's okay Champ. I already know what you’re going to say. It's alright. I don't blame you. We can just forget it ever happened."

_No…_ The impact of Blade’s words crashed into him like a tidal wave, knocking the air out of him and rendering him unable to breathe. His eyes were burning and Dusty squeezed them shut. It was all he could do not to cry. He had known that it was a possibility, had always known this might happen. No amount of thinking could have ever prepared him for the reality of being rejected. _I don’t think anything can prepare you for that._ He felt like he was drowning. _I’m sorry Blade. I never meant for this to happen, it just did, I-_

Time froze as something wet hit his nose. A whimpered curse followed, accompanied by more tears hitting his cheeks and slowly gliding down.

_Blade?_

Dusty’s eyes flew open, wide gaze fixed on the helicopter right in front of him. He was crying.

“Shit…”

Blade’s voice sounded broken, like his core had been shattered into a thousand pieces and at that moment Dusty wanted nothing more than to reach out and hold the other until everything was okay again but his body was still rooted to the spot, refusing to move. His own pain was completely forgotten as he watched Blade tremble, breath hitching as a small sob shook him. It was almost physically painful to watch, his core aching to comfort the distraught helicopter.

"I'm sorry. I- I really thought I could... Fuck, I'm such an idiot! I can't do this."

Blade’s voice grew incredibly quiet as more and more violent sobs were shaking him. Dusty nearly missed the pained whisper that seemed to shatter Blade completely.

"Why is this so hard?"

Dusty could feel himself trembling, his movement slowly returning to him as he shakily reached out to Blade only to draw back when the helicopter shook his head, letting out a hoarse laugh.

“Chrysler, I’m such an idiot.”

Dusty froze. _What?_ Blade’s shaking was slowly subsiding, his voice growing steadier as he shook his head again. His laughter sounded a touch too desperate and when his eyes met Dusty’s he could openly see the despair in them. And Fear. And something else, something new that he had never seen so openly in Blade’s eyes before. It mesmerized him, almost making him forget their entire situation as his entire focus lay on Blade’s eyes. His core was running a marathon in his chest, the intensity of the stare causing a dark blush to spread on his cheeks. Blade’s voice was still shaking, but his entire demeanor had changed. The fear hadn’t left him, but Dusty could see a fierce determination beneath it that let his core do summersaults and reduced his entire thinking process to gibberish.

"You know what Dusty?”

Something in Blade’s voice sparked a seed of hope within him, tentatively growing as Blade inhaled deeply, eyes growing soft. _Please let me be right. Let this just be one gigantic misunderstanding. Please…_

“I _don't_ know what you were going to say and even though I'm quite sure, I'm an idiot for assuming and possibly destroying something I so desperately want. I mean, I'm also an idiot for assuming that I assumed wrong in the first place or that there's even a chance I was an idiot for assuming and now I'm an idiot because my assumption gives me hope and that might get destroyed and really I’m in no way ready to lose you right now or ever really, so I just really hope that I assumed correctly about assuming the wrong thing and I'll just stop talking..."

The tentative hope bloomed in his chest and Dusty desperately tried to push it down again. He was scared of misunderstanding, coming to the wrong conclusion and messing everything up even more than his initial confession already had.

“Blade… What are you trying to tell me?”

His voice shook, his entire body tense as he watched Blade falter, his gaze growing hesitant. _Tell me, Blade._ Dusty felt like his core was going to burst, the tension becoming unbearable as Blade stared at him in silence, gaze turning soft. A small blush was adorning his cheeks when he finally, finally drew in a deep breath, his eyes looking straight into Dusty’s soul.

“I’m telling you that I love you Dusty Crophopper. And I’m asking you how you feel in return.”

Dusty froze, the shock and disbelief rolling through him as the words echoed in his head. ‘ _I love you.’_ Before he knew it, he could feel the biggest smile spread on his lips, slowly morphing into disbelieving chuckles that quickly turned into laughter. _You love me!_ He was roaring with laughter, still unable to believe it. _All this time I thought you were out of reach…_ Blade had grown visibly nervous as Dusty left him without an answer, fidgeting on the spot and a hint of dread returning to his eyes as Dusty kept laughing. He felt like a Windlifter class weight had been lifted from his core, one that he hadn’t really realized had been there and he felt like his body was too small for the amount of happiness that was coursing through him. Blade evidently couldn’t bear the tension any longer, his eyes growing desperate as he looked at Dusty with a mix of pleading and fear. Dusty chuckled, pulling Blade into a tight hug and whispering into his audials.

“Of course I love you, idiot. How could I not?”

He could feel Blade shiver beneath him as all the tension seemed to leave his body at once, leaving him to slump against Dusty. He could hear him exhale shakily as he pressed closer.

“Thank Chrysler… For a moment I really thought…”

Dusty gulped, pushing the memory of the brief rejection to a dark corner of his mind and focusing on the warmth. He could feel his smile growing soft, his core humming in his chest as he leaned in close, soaking up the warmth and the happiness that Blade offered.

“Don’t ever worry about that. I mean, have you met yourself, Blaze? What’s there not to love?”

Dusty pulled back a little, watching the emotions on Blade’s face quickly change from shaken to flustered to incredibly loving. The blush on Blade’s face had deepened and when he leaned back in his nose brushed Dusty’s cheek, giving him a small nuzzle and reducing Dusty to a pile of sheer happiness.

“You’re one to talk, princess.”

Dusty huffed indignantly, playfully shoving the helicopter off him and pouting.

“Hey!”

Blade only laughed, Dusty soon joining as they mock chased each other around the garage, throwing more and more ridiculous endearments at each other until they were both breathless from laughing. Slumping against each other on the ground to catch their breath, Dusty let out a long sigh.

“We really are idiots…”

_And really dense ones at that._

Blade hummed in agreement, pulling Dusty close again with his rotors and allowing them both the time to sober a little. There was still one question that remained unclear. _I just need to make sure._ Taking a deep breath, Dusty extracted himself from Blade and moved in front of him, locking eyes with the helicopter he loved. _Here it goes nothing…_

“So, Blade… What-“

Before he could finish the door flew open, the entire Piston Peak Air Attack team, including Cabbie and Windlifter, tumbling through the open door. Maru stood at the front, a proud smirk on his face as he suggestively wiggled his eyelids.

“Oh kiss already you two lovebirds!”

“MARU!”

They tried their best to glare at him, but Dusty was just too happy to be able to get mad at the mechanic right now, especially with the way he was beaming at them as if he had been the one who just found out his love was requited after all. The thought sent a fresh wave of giddiness through him, sending him into another round of happy laughter as the team cheered and Blade pulled him in close. Maru grinned.

“I guess that makes it official.”


	24. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it everyone... The last chapter. Thanks to everyone who kept reading until now and suported me with kudos, comments, bookmarks or simply reading the story at all :) I'm really happy that so many people found interest in my little story.
> 
> But, of course, Dusty and Blade's story is not over by a long shot. There is a third book for this series planned that I have a vague plot for and am currently working on and there will be oneshots for inbetween whenever I find the time/inspiration to write them. I also want to point out again that if anybody has an idea or a wish or something what I should write, I'm open for comissions. Can't promise you anything, but if the request is something I can even remotely imagine, I will do my best to write it. I'm currently working on one comission, so it won't be too long until that is up.  
> Until then, it's been really great having you all as readers. I hope I'll see you again :)
> 
> For the 'grand finale' I thought I'd try something new, so instead of one POV, like we always had before, there is no fixed POV here. It's both Dusty and blade at the same time. I tried my best to make clear who thinks what (except for some things that could be both on purpose ;) ). Tell me what you think?

The following day Maru issued the order to transfer Dusty back to Piston Peak for further recovery. He’d had to fight Dottie for the right to treat her patient as she had insisted on taking Dusty, arguing that while he was a racer he was her responsibility. Blade and Dusty had been in the hangar at the time, but Windlifter later told them the fallout had been epic. In the end, Maru had won out by saying that Piston Peak was closer and out of the two of them he clearly was the more experienced mechanic so they were allowed to take Dusty with them. Dusty had been all up for it, happy to spend a little time with Blade now that they were… something. They hadn’t really gotten around to discussing the question of what exactly. Dusty sighed, letting Dottie fuss over him as they loaded him into Cabbie, covered with what must have been a ton of blankets and with at least three thermocans with heated oil. _It’s sweet that you all worry about me, but you really don’t need to make such a big deal out of it._ Blade seemed to be reading his mind, smiling a little apologetically. He knew that Dusty hated being fussed over and out of commission like that but he agreed with Maru in terms of the plane’s condition.

“Hush Champ, you need the rest.”

Dusty growled, a playful touch to his tone as he leveled Blade with a firm stare.

“The same could be said for you Blaze. You didn’t rest at all.”

It was a little bit worrying to say the least, but Blade just smiled and shook his head.

“I promise I’ll get some rest once we get home.”

_Home…_ Dusty wondered when the word had started to mean Piston Peak to him. _Piston Peak and nothing else…_ The thought of leaving it again after he recovered felt wrong.

Flying inside another plane felt scary. Dusty had never done it before in his entire life and he didn’t like the feeling of not being in control of the movements or in this case, even be able to see the sky. The short flight took longer than he remembered and Dusty almost began to feel claustrophobic. The fact that Cabbie was talking to him via speakers was only doing so much. And on top of that, despite the mountain of blankets, it was incredibly cold. By the time they reached Piston Peak Dusty had emptied all three thermocans and was shaking, trying to draw the blankets tighter around himself. It was still early in the morning, leaving the air even cooler than later in the day. Blade didn’t like what he saw at all when Cabbie touched down and they went to get the plane out. He looked exhausted, shaking like a leaf in the wind and in that moment Blade made a decision.

“Do you want to come over to my hangar? I have a small oven and it’s a little warmer than yours probably is right now.”

Dusty nodded, eyes already glossy and Blade quickly pulled him under his rotors, trying his best to shield the other from the wind that was gearing up again. He looked at Maru for confirmation, not wanting to overrule the mechanic in case he’d had something else in mind. Maru frowned but gave Blade a nod.

“Just make sure he stays warm and gets some rest. And get me as soon as anything seems off.”

Dusty distantly realized the concern in the mechanic’s eyes and he almost felt bad for making all of them worry. But Blade was warm and the air was so cold and he really just wanted to get inside and pass out.

“Come on Champ, let’s get you inside.”

When Blade opened the door and quickly ushered Dusty in, he allowed himself a moment to just stare. In all the time they had known each other Blade had never invited him in here. It had always been the cliff, or the park, or the center space or his hangar but he had never seen the inside of Blade’s. _It looks cozy…_ Dusty’s eyes fell on a sleeping mat in one of the corners and he was immediately drawn to it, exhaustion catching up with him as he all but slumped down on it.

Blade watched with a mix of fond amusement and worry as Dusty groaned, curling in on himself as best as he could and evidently trying to stay warm. _Oh Dusty…_ He quickly went and got a few spare blankets, unceremoniously dumping them on the plane who immediately pulled them over himself, giving Blade a small smile.

“Thank you…”

Blade shook his head.

“It’s alright Dusty. Sleep. You need the rest.”

“What about you?”

Dusty’s voice had adopted a hint of stubbornness, evidently battling with his need to just close his eyes and sleep. Sleep sounded really good right about then.

“I’ll rest as well.”

Blade’s quiet voice was soothing and Dusty slowly felt himself giving away to the exhaustion, allowing his body to be claimed by the sleep that had been hanging over him ever since waking up. Blade followed his example, lying down next to him and pulling him close. He hadn’t slept since the day before coming to the Valentines race, not counting falling unconscious. The moment he allowed himself to relax and let his tension unwind, he was out cold.

When Blade woke up again it was late afternoon. Dusty was still sound asleep next to him and for a moment Blade allowed himself to just watch the other sleep, chest rising and sinking with every breath he took, sure signs that he was alive. _It has something mesmerizing…_ Dusty murmured something in his sleep that suspiciously sounded like his name and Blade blushed furiously, his core thundering in his chest. His thoughts were still hung up on the memory of their little talk in the garage. _I still can’t believe it. This is really happening._ Everything had happened so fast, it all seemed a little unreal. _Dusty loves me. And I love him._ The thought made him smile as he watched his plane sleep, a fond happiness settling somewhere deep within his core as he watched Dusty stir, eyes slowly fluttering open. Blade almost melted at the way Dusty’s eyes were shining as he looked at him with such an incredibly fond smile that his tires went weak.

“Morning Beautiful.”

Dusty could see the deep blush on Blade’s cheeks that only seemed to darken as he spoke. It warmed him inside and out, the already familiar wave of happiness washing over him at the usage of the new nickname. _Beautiful, huh…_ _I like the sound of that._ They simply stared into each other’s eyes for a while, slowly sinking into those deep pools and letting their smiles warm them. Everything was new and precious, and Dusty wanted to cherish every moment of it.

“How are you feeling?”

Blade’s voice was quiet, loving. Dusty quietly chuckled.

“Like my core might overflow with happiness.”

Blade felt his blush that had slowly been ebbing away come back full force, core speeding up again and causing him to avert his gaze in fear of his own core doing just that. His eyes fell onto the small kitchen area that had been there from their last chief. He rarely used it but now it suddenly felt like a good idea. _Love goes through the tanks._ And it would allow him a small reprieve from the tension that the constant happiness had ironically put them under. Dusty was still smiling as he watched Blade’s eyes linger on the kitchen. _I didn’t know you could cook._ Blade shot him a questioning glance, their eyes locking again as both of them were unable to break the contact. Blade cleared his throat, smile still in place as he motioned to the kitchen, making Dusty grin with his flustered attempts at conveying what he meant. Words seemed to have left him altogether. Dusty decided to come to his rescue, laying a reassuring wingtip on Blade’s tail and simply allowing himself to smile.

“Yes, Dinner would be nice.”

Dusty was sure he was radiating with happiness so brightly that it could shame a star. Blade soaked it up like it was his only life source, eyes fixed on the plane that had lain down again. His thoughts kept going back to the image of his Champ peacefully sleeping as he absentmindedly poured the ingredients for a small mix together. He was too engorged in his newfound happiness to notice that he had skipped a few steps as he put the mix on the heater, only realizing when he saw the liquid smoke. _Oh shit._ He hastily pulled the pot down before it could catch on fire, mentally berating himself for not being more careful. _We just got out alive of the last one, I don’t need any more fiery adventures for now._ He watched as his ‘dinner’ cooled down, trying his best to salvage what he could and at least make it look remotely presentable. _So much for wooing you with my cooking skills…_ When he brought out the two cans to Dusty he couldn’t quell the small feeling of embarrassment that left him feeling a little anxious.

Dusty found the nervous look on Blade’s face endearing. In a way, the fact that Blade was worrying over such trivial things as his cooking skills was almost like a little love confession in on itself. He smiled at Blade reassuringly, taking one of the cans from him and taking an experimental sip. _Oh…_ When the liquid hit his taste buds he was torn between coughing and savoring it. The liquid had a weird twist to it, making it impossible to discern whether he liked the taste or not. _Intriguing… I doubt you intended for that to happen, but wow… I’m impressed._ He took another sip, letting it roll around in his mouth and focusing on the nicer parts of it. _It’s not even that bad._ The more he got used to the liquid the more he began to like it. It was strange, considering it still left a weird aftertaste in his mouth, but when he lifted his eyes to meet Blade’s still nervous gaze his smile was earnest.

“Thank you Blade.”

Blade sighed with relief, letting himself fall down next to Dusty and bringing his own can to his lips. _Thank Chrysler. It’s drinkable._ He took a large sip, expecting a mediocre mix of blends when the taste hit him by surprise. He immediately spat it out, coughing to get the foul taste out of his mouth. _What the… Dusty!_ His gaze immediately snapped to the plane who was still taking small sips from his drink, a mix of mortification and disbelief running through him as he distantly wondered how Dusty managed to keep a straight face while drinking.

“This is terrible! How on earth can you drink that?!”

He watched Dusty flinch for a second and immediately felt guilty. _Oh Chrysler, I made you feel obligated… I’m supposed to look after you, not making it worse by poisoning you!_ He averted his eyes, feeling the small pang of having failed Dusty in his core.

“I just wanted to do something nice for you… I’m sorry.”

Dusty chuckled, using his wingtip to direct Blade’s gaze back at him to make sure he could see the honesty in his eyes.

“It’s really not that bad once you get used to it. It’s actually quite fascinating to drink. Besides…”

Dust blushed, quickly tugging himself under Blade’s rotors and murmuring the rest of his answer into Blade’s side.

“You made it.”

He could feel his blush deepen and from where he had tugged his face into Blade’s side he could see the helicopter blush as well. Blade felt like his core was going to burst. _What did I ever do to deserve you, Champ?_ He slowly let himself relax, pulling Dusty closer and beginning to rub small circles into his side, careful to avoid the freshly welded injuries and relishing in the happy purr that Dusty gave him in return. He could feel the way his plating vibrated from it, giving the moment something intimate. Blade vowed to cherish the memory of it.

Dusty let himself melt into the touch, his engine purring with contentment as he watched Blade with a dazed smile, content to just stay like that for the rest of the day. He could feel Blade sigh as his helicopter glanced down on him, gaze incredibly fond and still carrying a hint of guilt.

“I'm still sorry. I really just wanted to do something nice for you. You know, impress you with my cooking skills…”

Dusty pressed closer, sliding his wing over Blade’s tail and nuzzling the other’s side.

“Don’t apologize…”

His voice had nearly turned into a whisper and Blade had to strain a little to hear it.

“You’re here Blade. That’s all I want.”

Blade felt his throat dry at that, core pounding rapidly in his chest as if it wanted to escape to the plane tucked under his rotors. His answer was equally quiet as he squeezed the plane a little, trying to convey all his feelings at once.

“There’s nowhere I’d rather be Dusty.”

They stayed silent after that, letting each other’s words sink in and silently relishing the love they felt, both from within themselves and from the other. _It’s nice to finally be able to hold you like this. Just hold you close, feel your warmth and hear your corebeat. It’s all I could wish for._

Blade kept his eyes on Dusty, watching as he closed his eyes, savoring the small caresses Blade was giving him. If he’d had to pick a perfect moment for time to just stop, it would have been this. He let himself enjoy it while it lasted. As he watched Dusty in that sleep-like position he felt reminded of their position in the garage, not too different now from how they had been then. The thought brought a question with it, manifesting in Blade’s mind and refusing to be shoved away as he uttered a deep sigh. Dusty’s eyes opened a little, shooting Blade a questioning look as the helicopter slowly pulled away, turning them around so that he was looking directly into Dusty’s eyes. His core was hammering in his chest, loud enough that he was sure Dusty could hear it. He tried to give Dusty a reassuring smile, not too fond of the worry that had started to show in the plane’s eyes but he wasn’t quite in control of his expression. Taking in a deep breath he focused on Dusty’s eyes, those beautiful blue-turquoise eyes that he could drown in forever and exhaled deeply. _This is it…_ He gulped past the small lump in his throat, doing his best to keep the nervousness out of his voice.

“So, Dusty… I know this seems a little silly now, I mean we already confessed how we feel in the garage and all.”

_Chrysler, why am I so nervous?_

Dusty kept his gaze on Blade, eyes wide and core doing summersaults in his chest as he hung on Blade’s every word, a pool of excitement gathering in his tanks, accompanied by small butterflies that insistently created a little whirlwind within him.

“But seeing how we got so rudely interrupted, there’s still one question left to ask. I mean, it’s really just a formality now but…”

He could see Blade exhaling, determined gaze wavering for a second before it softened. Dusty was overwhelmed by an onslaught of different emotions all coursing through him, his core hammering harder and harder up against his throat as he watched Blade open his mouth again.

“Dusty?”

He realized with a bit of embarrassment that he had started trembling, looking at Blade almost pleadingly, unable to bear the tension any longer.

“Yes Blade?”

Blade gulped, forcing down the last strands of nervousness and willing himself to continue, finishing what he started.

“Will you be my partner? Will you enter a relationship with me Dusty? Officially?”

Blade’s core was racing as he anxiously looked at Dusty, waiting for an answer to a question that shouldn’t hold as much relevance anymore as it did. _Come on Champ, don’t…_

Dusty had imagined Blade saying those words a million times, had dreamed of this situation, this day more often than he could count. When he finally heard the words for real he was overcome with sheer happiness, laughing because there was just too much of it to keep it all inside. It didn’t feel fair to keep his happiness in, not with Blade standing right there, looking at him the way he did. Inside he was swooning but the sheer amount of happiness made him giddy as he flicked his not inured wing at Blade, wiggling his eyelids while making sure his gaze stayed serious.

“I thought I already was Blade.”

_I mean, technically…_

Blade smiled at him sheepishly, pulling Dusty into a hug and holding him close while whispering into his audials, tone playful but still full of honesty.

“You are, Dusty. I just wanted to make sure.”

“Well, it was highly romantic of you to do so.”

Dusty wasn’t entirely joking.

Still, they both laughed and Dusty rubbed Blade’s side with his nose in adoration. Blade felt a little ridiculous for the amount of worry he had felt. It had really been unnecessary. _You’re right Dusty. You already were… Guess this just proves it again._ The touch to his side felt nice and Blade let himself enjoy it, relishing the newfound feeling of lightness. His core was fluttering in his chest, butterflies buzzing in his tanks as he gazed down at Dusty full of love, returning the small caresses as he nuzzled the plane’s cockpit.

“Anything for my Champ.”

They both shared a small smile, full of so much happiness and love that just holding each other almost didn’t feel like enough, an incredible need to show their affection and give it to the other freely settling in both of them.

“Careful Blaze, I’ll hold you to that.”

If possible, Blade’s smile softened even more as he gathered his courage, placing a lingering kiss on the side of Dusty’s cockpit and closing his eyes, committing the moment to memory. He could see Dusty smile up at him, eyes openly displaying his love as his lips briefly brushed Blade’s in return, leaving him filled with love in a way he had never been before.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way, Champ.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 39 chapters and 124683 words if you count from the begining. That's how long it took them until they officially got together... I'm amazed at my own ability to unintentionally draw things out XD  
> Did it feel this long for any of you?


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